Re-Living The Dream
by 87JPR87
Summary: Follow Alexa Torres as she fights her way back into the WWE after a life-threatening injury forced her to be out of action for 3 years.
1. Chapter 1

''Come on, Torres. I know you can do it.''

Alexa inhaled deeply as she stood facing the turnbuckle, preparing to climb to the top. Her hands faltered as she clutched the ropes and she closed her eyes. ''I can't...''

Colby 'Seth Rollins' Lopez and Jon 'Dean Ambrose' Good were sitting a few feet away from the ring, going over some ideas for their upcoming promo. Darren 'William Regal' Matthews was also perched nearby; keenly watching what was going on inside the ring.

Tom Prichard, the head trainer for FCW was trying his best to coax the woman to climb up to the top rope but was visibly losing his patience with her.

The man threw his hands up in the air in frustration. ''Oh, for fucks sake! It's not rocket science, just get up there!''

Colby and Jon shared an uneasy look as the shouting drew their attention towards the ring. Both men had seen Alexa around the building during their time at the WWE's developmental territory, but neither had ever spoken to her. In fact, the only people she appeared to socialize with was Darren, Shaul Guerrero and Joe Anoa'i, she mostly kept herself to herself.

Off to the side of them Darren rose from his chair, ready to intervene if he had to. The three watched as Alexa released her vice-like grip from the ropes, her arms dropping to her sides as she turned around. She opened her mouth to say something as she stepped towards him, before thinking better of it and snapping it closed.

The man sighed and ran a hand over his face. ''It's been nearly three years... You could be back on the main roster by now, but you're still in the same place you were when you first came here... You need to suck it up and get the fuck over it!"

Alexa stared at him blankly for a few moments before breezing past him to climb out of the ring. ''You know what, you can go fuck yourself!'' She peeled off her WWE t-shirt, leaving her in just her sports-bra and joggers, before throwing it at him angrily.

Jon let out a loud snort as it hit Tom square in the face, his companion giving him a look of reproach as he elbowed him in the ribs.

The woman marched towards the exit, while raising her arm in the air and flipping him the bird. ''I fucking quit!''

Alexa kept her head down as she made her way through the building, heading towards the parking lot. As soon as the sunlight hit her face she let the tears fall, angrily swiping at them with her hands. She was halfway to her car when she suddenly realized that, in her haste to leave, she had left her bag inside. Of course, her car keys happened to be in said bag. She refused to give Tom the satisfaction of walking back in there after her big walk-out. Letting out a huff, she walked over to the grass verge that was to the side of the building. Sitting down, she closed her eyes and leant back against the wall.

It felt like her whole life was spinning out of control.

Everything had been going so well... her career had taken off and was better than anything she could have ever dreamed. She had an awesome group of friends and an amazing boyfriend... then it all went to shit.

On the 13th of July 2008, she had found out that Randy had been unfaithful nine months earlier, and that had resulted in a baby. She had been beyond shocked, not even suspecting anything had been wrong in their relationship. They had their ups and downs like any other couple did, but overall they were happy, or so she thought.

When the whole thing blew up, Randy was out with a clavicle injury that he had sustained during his match against Triple H at One Night Stand the previous month. She had walked into the Roanoke Civic Center for a house show that evening, blissfully unaware of the impending heartbreak that was to come.

* * *

_Alexa hummed to herself as she wandered through the arena, following the signs to the catering area. She had just driven the two and a half hours from Charleston, West Virgina to Roanoke, Virginia without stopping and really needed something to drink. _

_As soon as she stepped foot in the room, everyone stopped talking and the room went deathly silent. A look of confusion furrowed her brow as she looked around at everyone, they all looked uncomfortable and none of them would meet her eyes. She quickly grabbed a bottle of water and left wondering what the hell was going on._

_She made her way down to the women's locker room and as soon as she stepped inside, her heart dropped. Mickie James and Phil 'CM Punk' Brooks, two of her closest friends, were all sat on the bench, obviously awaiting her arrival as they all stood when she entered._

_''What the fuck is going on?'' She asked, an uneasy look on her face. ''Everyone's looking at me like someone killed my puppy and...'' _

_Mickie moved over to her and placed a hand on her back, trying to steer her over to the bench. ''Come sit down.''_

_Alexa shrugged her off and crossed her arms over her chest. ''Just tell me.'' _

_Phil heaved out a sigh and held out a newspaper. She snatched it out of his hands and glanced down at the headline, letting out a snort. ''Is this some kind of joke?'' _

_**WWE Star Randy Orton Has A New Title... Dad.**_

_**Alanna Marie Orton was born Saturday July 12th at 9:24 pm...**_

_Alexa tore her eyes away from the page, the expressions on both of their faces telling her that it wasn't. She moved away from Phil as he reached out to comfort her, stumbling backwards towards the door. ''I... I can't...''_

_As soon as she stepped out of the room, her eyes filled with tears as s__he frantically tried to make sense of it all. Walking swiftly down the hallway, she pulled her phone out of her pocket, finding over thirty missed calls and a handful of voice mails from Randy. Sucking in a deep breath to steel herself, she dialled his number and waited._

_''Lex-''_

_''Is it true?'' She cut him off quickly._

_''Lex-''_

_''Is it true?'' _

_''Yes...''_

_Fresh burning tears poured down her cheeks and she tried to keep her voice steady as she spoke. ''Don't call me again, Randy.''_

_''Wait, I-''_

_Alexa ended the call, covering her mouth with her hand to muffle the sobs. The phone started ringing and she violently hurled it towards the wall, watching as it shattered along with her heart. _

_The next thing she knew, a pair of strong, tattooed arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Immediately recognizing the tattoos as Phil's, she buried her face in his chest. ''I hate him.''_

_''It's going to be okay, Lex." Phil said softly, rubbing her back as she cried into his chest._

* * *

_Alexa kept her head down as she walked through the __United States RBC Center. __They were in Raleigh, North Carolina for Raw and she was booked in a match against Mickie for the Women's Championship. They were in the process of slowly turning Sierra heel so she had been going up against Mickie a lot recently, trying to get some heat from the crowd._

_After she had unloaded on Phil the previous night, she had collected herself enough to pull of her spot in the show without a hitch. After that, she had just fallen to pieces again. She had caught a ride to Raleigh with John straight after the show, he insisted on driving and she just sat in the back trying to get her head together._

_''Lex!"_

_She looked up and felt herself start to tear up at the sight of Chris 'Jericho' Irvine jogging towards her. Dropping her bag on the floor, she closed the gap between them and practically jumped into his waiting arms. ''Thank God you're here.'' Her voice faltered as she tried to keep the tears at bay._

_Chris gave her one last squeeze before he pulled back and studied her. ''You look like shit.'' _

_She chuckled and swiped at her eyes, feeling a few tears escape. ''I know... How's Jess? And the kids?''_

_''The kids are all good, getting to be a bit of a handful though. Jess sends her love too.''_

_Alexa and Chris had been really close ever since they had been put in a storyline together when she first debuted in the WWE. They had just clicked and become best friends almost instantly. His wife Jessica had warmed to her right away too, and over the years she had become part of the Irvine family. They had even named one of their twins, Sierra, after her._

_''I... I don't know what to do, Chris.'' _

_He clenched his jaw angrily. ''He's just lucky he's not here. A lot of the guys are pissed...''_

_''Why?''_

_''Because of you, Lex. They're pissed that he would do something like that to you. You know everyone loves you and they've all got your back.''_

* * *

_Later that night, Alexa and Mickie had been in the ring for nearly ten minutes when the referee told them it was time to start wrapping things up. The crowd was loving the match but they were cheering for the both of them and not just for Mickie, like they were hoping. But any reaction was a good reaction, so they just went with it._

_After being hit with a powerful DDT, Mickie was laid out in the ring and the crowd roared as Alexa climbed to the top rope, knowing what was coming next. She balanced herself, preparing to execute a corkscrew shooting star press which the WWE had dubbed the 'DeltaWave'. Just as she went to push herself off the top ropes, her foot caught on something. _

_Her heart leapt into her throat as she found herself unable to catch her balance and she felt herself falling backwards. She frantically tried to grab at the ring post in a last-ditch effort to sway the motion, she knew she wouldn't land safely. From the angle at which she was dropping, all she could see were the steel steps as she landed head first straight onto them. __The 'thwack' she made when she hit seemed to echo through the arena and sent the crowd into a stunned silence._

_Alexa blacked out for a moment before opening her eyes, only to find herself face-down and staring down at the mat. She went to push herself up, only to find that she couldn't and she started to freak out._

_Mike Chioda, who was the referee for the match, rolled out of the ring and crouched down beside her. ''You okay?''_

_''I can't move.''_

_He reached out to grasp her hand, which had lain completely limp by the side of her head, before giving it a gentle squeeze. ''Can you feel that?''_

_She sucked in a breath as the panic started to build. ''No.''_

_He cursed under his breath before he jumped up and raised his hands above his head into an X shape, the universal sign to alert backstage officials and paramedics that it's a legitimate injury. _

_He shuffled away from her and the form of Doctor Chris Amann took his place, bending down so she could see him. He gave her a reassuring smile after sweeping the hair off of her face so she could see more clearly. ''Okay, I need you to squeeze my hand.''_

_Alexa focused all of her attention on the hand, willing it to move. ''I can't...'' She let out a shaky breath as she felt her eyes start to tear up._

_''Okay.'' He put her hand back where it was, patting it gently. ''Pain rating, 1-10?''_

_''7... The tops of my shoulders... And my face and chest feel like their burning.''_

_He nodded before turning to another referee who had appeared. ''We need to get an ambulance ready, now.''_

_''My neck's broken isn't it?'' She asked, choking back a sob._

_''It looks that way.'' responded with a grimace. ''We'll know more after we get you to the hospital.''_

_The next few minutes passed in a haze for Alexa._

_A few more members of the medical team had rushed out from backstage and they had gently put a neck collar on her before loading her on to a backboard. The crowd remained still deathly silent as they wheeled her through to the back area._

_As soon as they reached the backstage area she could hear people bustling around, asking what had happened and if she was alright. She kept her eyes closed and she kept her breathing under control, trying to stop herself from getting hysterical as the time passed and she still hadn't recovered any feeling._

_''Get out of the fucking way you moron... Let me through!"_

_Alexa's eyes sprang open and she was immediately greeted by the concerned face of Chris. She tried to force out a smile but ended up just bursting into tears. _

_''Hey, hey, hey... Don't cry, come on.'' He picked up her hand and swallowed hard when he felt how limp it was. ''They're going to fix you right up, you'll be good as new in no time.''_

_Stephanie soon appeared, looking more frazzled than normal as she looked down at her with a small smile. ''The ambulance is almost here.''_

_''Please, I don't want to go by myself...''_

_''Chris will go with you... Where the fuck is this ambulance?!'' Stephanie screeched as she went to find out what was taking so long._

_''Chris, I'm scared...''_

_He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her hairline. ''You're going to be okay, kid.''_

* * *

Chris hadn't told her this until a long time after, but there was a point when the doctors had really thought that she wasn't going to survive. She had broken her C1, C2 and then she had herniated her C5 and C6. But the C1 is shaped like a ring at the base of your skull and it controls all of your range of motion. apparently, what usually happens is that bone will snap inward and it'll sever all the nerves there which controls your breathing, controls the blood pumping to your brain, everything. Somehow, by some miracle, Alexa's had gone in, hit her spinal cord and bounced back out. They had to sedate her to keep her completely stabilized, because any slight movement could have made that bone go in and she could have died.

She had been extremely lucky but the doctors told her that she probably wouldn't be able to move again. Three days later, after lying in ICU trying to come to terms with everything... she had moved for the first time.

She had been in too much pain to even try to walk and was finally resigned to the fact that she would probably never be able to wrestle again. Then in walked Amy 'Lita' Dumas. The two had been close when they were working together during Alexa's first couple of years with the company, but then she retired and they eventually lost touch.

Amy gave her the mother of all motivational speeches, told her to stop feeling sorry for herself and get up and get on with her life. She had gone through something similar when she broke her neck back in 2003, so she knew what she was talking about. Amy had left after spending a little time with her and later that day she managed to walk down the hall to the bathroom.

A lot of people had stopped by during those first few days, all the support had been really overwhelming. Vince and Stephanie had been the first people to stop by, which really meant a lot to her. They were filled with reassurances that she wouldn't have to worry about any medical expenses and that they would take care of that side of things, all she had to do was focus on getting better.

Mickie and Phil had been the first to visit her after the McMahon's had left, what with them being her closest friends in the company at the time, closely followed by John Cena. Practically everybody she knew had been to visit her during those first few days, everyone except Randy. Which she was thankful for, she wasn't sure how she would have coped if he had turned up. A lot of her friends had voiced their opinion that they thought what happened was partly his fault, which she found a bit offensive. She was professional enough to put her personal troubles to the back of her mind when she was out in the ring, it had been just a freak accident.

After recovering from the surgery, Alexa had gone through months and months of physical therapy, including a lot at the Clearwater Spine &amp; Rehabilitation. She had decided to move house long before she suffered the injury and had originally planned to get a place with Randy, but that had obviously changed given everything that had happened. The main reason she had chosen to move to Florida was to be closer to her friends. It was just an added bonus that she would be a short distance away from the rehab centre and the FCW building, where she knew she would be headed as soon as she was ready to return.

Jenna, her friend that she lived with up in Toronto, had handled everything to do with the sale of the house and Chris and Jess had helped her find a new place in the Florida area. After all of her belongings had been shipped down, she had enlisted some people to help her since she couldn't do any of it herself. Adam and Chris had made themselves useful by doing all the heavy lifting for her and Jason 'Christian' Reso had stopped by during his days off from TNA to help out too. John had also offered to help out, but had left shortly after arguing with Alexa. They had always been good friends, or at least she thought they had been. John had admitted that he had known about Randy cheating on her the whole time. Even when he found out about the pregnancy, he still decided not to tell her. She had been beyond angry with him at the time and practically banished him from her life. They were just starting to get back on friendly terms now, but she doubted that it would ever be the same as before.

It had been well over two years since the accident. Her neck was strong thanks to all the rehab she was doing and she was physically in the best shape of her life, but she was still no closer to getting back into that ring. She had trained down at FCW for about six months, only just stepping back inside the ring recently. There was a few moves she felt comfortable doing and she could do simple bumps but as soon as she tried to get up to that top rope, she froze. She just couldn't do it.

''Ahem.''

Alexa was suddenly torn from her inner musings and reluctantly opened her eyes, expecting to see Tom standing in front of her. Instead, she discovered the two men who had been near the ring earlier staring down at her. She cocked an eyebrow as she looked between the pair, neither man had ever said a single word to her so she wondered what they wanted.

''You forgot this.'' Colby dangled her bag in front of her cautiously, half-expecting her to snap at him.

She eyed the pink and black tote bag before looking up at him. ''Oh, I don't know...'' Her lips curled into a smirk. ''It looks good on you, maybe you should keep hold of it.''

Both men chuckled and he dropped it into her waiting hands. "Listen, a bunch of us are going out for a few drinks tonight... We wondered if you wanted to join us?''

A small, disbelieving laugh escaped her lips. "You don't even know me... did Darren put you up to this?"

Colby shook his head quickly. ''Of course not. It's just... well, you've been here for a while now but you don't really talk to any of us... And everyone's been too afraid to approach you because, well...''

''You walk around looking like you want to murder somebody.'' Jon cut in with a shrug.

''Jon!" Colby looked appalled and gaped at his friend.

Alexa's lips twitched at his bluntness and she nodded. ''No, he's right. I've been in a shitter of a mood recently.''

''Hey, no one can blame you.'' Colby told her softly, shooting her a smile.

She swallowed hard as the memories started to come rushing back, quickly shaking her head and aiming a grin at the pair in front of her. ''Okay. Where are we going?''


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as she got home, she was already severely regretting her decision. It had been so long since she had gone on a night out, she was just feeling extremely anxious about the whole thing.

During her time off she had avoided social gatherings like the plague, preferring to just be alone. Cutting herself off from everyone had been the worst thing she could have done. It gave her the time to dwell on all the negative thoughts that were going through her head and she had spiralled into a deep depression.

Chris and Jess been the two that had ultimately pulled her out of it. As soon as they realized how down she had become, they took matters into their own hands. They had invaded her home, packed her some stuff and practically dragged her to live with them for a little while. Although Chris wasn't around much becasue he was on the road, Jess and the kids were around all the time. Having that constant presence around her had helped more than she thought.

_**Heeey heeeey heeeeey**_

_**Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains**_

Hearing her phone ringing, she snapped out of her daze and grabbed the phone out of her pocket. "Hello?"

_''Hello, I just thought I'd give you a quick call to see how you were?'' _Darren's voice came through the speaker.

''I'm okay, he just pissed me off.''

He chuckled. _''Yes, I thought he might have. Not to worry, you won't be training with him anymore.''_

''What?'' She asked, frowning. ''I didn't mean it when I quit, it was just a heat of the moment thing.''

_''I know. You had every right to be angry. I've had words with him, he won't be so insensitive in the future.''_

Alexa snorted and put on her best English accent. ''Were you defending my honour, Mr. Regal?''

_''That was awful, but yes, in theory. To be honest, I was half-expecting you to deck him.''_ Darren laughed before his tone turned sombre. _''The old Lex would have... you've lost your fire, dear girl.''_

She let out a frustrated sigh. ''I don't know what's wrong with me...''

_''We'll get you there.''_

''We?''

_''I've spoken to Steve Keirn and Paul and they both agreed that a different approach might be best. From now on I'll be overseeing your training.''_

Paul Levesque had recently taken over the role of Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, replacing John Laurinaitis. His new role meant that he oversees the talent relations and talent development departments and the training of performers and management of worldwide recruitment.

Alexa scoffed loudly. ''Good luck with that. I'm useless, you saw me earlier.''

_''But I've also seen you at your best... remember when you made three of the top men in the company legitimately tap out?''_

Alexa laughed as she remembered that day. Chris had voiced his opinion that her finishing move, the corkscrew shooting star press, was easy and that he could easily do it. They had headed down to the ring before a show one night to test that theory and it had turned into an impromptu sparring session.

* * *

_''You ready to admit defeat yet?'' _

_Alexa stood over him, arms crossed over her chest and a shit-eating grin on her face. _

_Chris groaned as he lay on the mat. ''No...''_

_''Come on, dude.'' Adam spoke, trying to be the voice of reason for once. ''We've been out here for over an hour and you still can't do it.''_

_''Yeah.'' Randy called from his position outside the ring, leaning beside Adam against the barricade. He had made his way to the arena shortly after his girlfriend had, deciding to come down to the ring to see how they were getting on. ''You suck, man.''_

_Chris lifted his arm and raised his middle finger in their direction. ''Show me one more time.'' He demanded as he stubbornly got to his feet._

_Rolling her eyes, Alexa climbed to the top rope and executed a perfect shooting star press before standing and looking at him expectantly._

_''Now do the twisty one.'' He wiggled his finger to illustrate._

_''Corkscrew.'' She corrected before moving back up to the top rope and doing as he asked._

_Chris took in a deep breath before letting out a heavy sigh. ''Fine. I give up, I can't do it.''_

_''And?'' She prompted._

_''And... you're amazing in the ring... for a chick.''_

_She scowled and socked him in the arm. ''You're an ass.'' He pouted and stepped towards her, wrapping his arms around her neck and smashing his cheek against hers. "Chris!" She shrieked, struggling to shake him off. "Get the hell off of me!" _

_''What are you doing to the poor woman, Irvine?''_

_''Help me, Darren.'' Alexa cried dramatically, instantly recognizing the voice as that of Darren Matthews._

_The Englishman chuckled as he made his way down the ramp, taking a seat beside the other two men. ''I think you can manage, my dear.'' _

_''Yeah, kick his ass, Lex!'' A southern drawl rang out._

_The pair glanced over to the ramp where they found Matt Hardy making his way down, closely followed by Nora and Amy._

_''Shut up, hardly!" _

_Chris' grip on her relaxed as he playfully shouted abuse to the other man, giving Alexa an opening. She elbowed him sharply, making him let her go so he could catch his breath. As soon as his arms lowered she quickly moved hers to latch around his head, putting him in a tight headlock. His surprised laugh was cut short when she jabbed her foot into the back of his leg and brought him down to his knees. _

_Alexa aimed another kick to his back which dropped him face-first to the mat. Leaning all of her weight on him to stop him from moving, she hooked his arm and locked in the Fujiwara armbar. _

_She could hear the small group outside the ring cheering and laughing as he tried to fight out of the move._

_"Tap." She shouted, applying more pressure to his arm._

_''Ten bucks on Lex.'' Randy stated confidently._

_''Nah, Chris' got this in the bag.'' Adam called out._

_"Piss off Copeland, you're next!" _

_Alexa let out a surprised squeal when Chris suddenly powered out of the move. He scissored his legs around her left arm, grabbing hold of her wrist and pulling it upwards, hyper-extending her shoulder and elbow._

_''My money's on Chris.'' Amy piped up as she watched the action inside the ring._

_''Hey!" Alexa shouted from inside the ring. ''Us girls are meant to stick together Aimes!"_

_''I've got your back, Lex.'' Nora smiled and gave her a thumbs-up._

_''Tap?'' Chris asked mockingly as he fought to hold her still, she was a lot stronger than she looked._

_''Screw you.'' She hissed as she tried, and failed, to pry his legs apart with her free hand. _

_''You might be good, Lex, but I'm bett- AHHH!''_

_His boasting was cut short when Alexa sank her teeth into his calf, making him release his hold on her arm and roll away from her. Before he could do anything about it, she had her own version of the Muta lock secured. Instead of locking her arms around his neck which was the most common way to do it, she had them stretched under his arms and locked under his chin._

_''What the hell is that?'' Randy asked, gazing at the pair in the ring._

_''I believe it's a variation of the inverted Indian deathlock facelock, it's used quite a bit over in Japan.'' Darren replied as he looked on in surprise. ''I've never seen it applied like that before.''_

_''Uncle! Uncle, you crazy bitch!'' Chris cried, tapping three times on the canvas._

_She unhooked her arms and legs and got to her feet, grinning at the praising claps coming from outside the ring._

_The blonde groaned as he slowly got to his feet, rubbing his back ''I'm getting too old for this shit.'' He mumbled as he gingerly climbed out of the ring, being given a consoling pat on the back by Darren and Matt._

_Alexa laughed and turned to the group, her eyes searching out the other blonde Canadian in attendance. She moved over to the side of the ring that was closest to him and sat on the middle rope, gesturing for him to get in. Adam held up his hands and shook his head with a chuckle. _

_''Scared?'' She goaded with smirk._

_He narrowed his eyes and pushed himself from the barricade. ''I bet Chris let you win.''_

_Chris shook his head. ''I wish...''_

_Adam climbed into the ring and everybody watched as the two circled each other for a few seconds._

_Alexa was about to lunge towards him but her eyes drifted to something behind him. ''What are they doing out here?''_

_He turned around to see who she meant and found Paul and Dave sauntering down the ramp. Taking advantage of the distraction, she quickly moved her arms under Adam's and put her hands behind his head. Before he could even try to power out of it, she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his middle._

_Dave and Paul greeted the others and each grabbed a chair, watching on with interest as Adam staggered around the ring with Alexa on his back. ''What's going on?'' _

_Randy turned to grin at the bigger man. ''Lex is kicking ass, it's awesome.''_

_''Try being on the receiving end of it...'' Chris said bitterly._

_Paul snorted and looked him over. ''You got beat by a girl?''_

_''I made him tap out!" Alexa shouted over to them proudly, still hanging on to Adam despite his attempts to throw her off._

_''She had him in a rather unique Muta lock, it was quite impressive.'' Darren told them with a small smile._

_''Come on, Lex. Give up now, before you get hurt.'' Adam said in a patronizing voice._

_Vaguely, Alexa heard Randy mutter to someone. "Oh, he's a goner..."_

_Scowling, she tightened the grip of her hands and squeezed her thighs as hard as she could. He stumbled momentarily, managing a few steps before dropping down to the mat with a pained whimper. _

_Alexa inched her head towards Adam's ear. ''You give?''_

_''No.'' He wheezed, making the others laugh even more. She applied even more pressure to his middle, his face starting to go red with the strain of trying to catch his breath. ''Okay, okay, I give... Uncle!''_

_She quickly released him and rolled away from him as he clutched at his ribs, panting heavily. Rising to her feet, she peered down at him before offering him a hand. He latched on to it and she helped him up, a sheepish look on her face. ''Sorry.''_

_''I guess I deserved it...'' He admitted, hobbling over to the ropes and climbing out of the ring to sit beside Chris._

_''That was hilarious, you should have seen how red your face was.'' Paul chortled._

_Dave shook his head at the two men. ''I can't believe you both got your asses handed to you, she's a tiny slip of a thing compared to you two.''_

_''She's a lot stronger than she looks!" Chris told him defensively. ''Right, Adam?''_

_Adam nodded vigorously. ''She's got thighs of steel, man.''_

_''Dude, they are Canadian...'' Randy added with a teasing grin._

_''Ah, that explains it.'' Dave chuckled._

_''Hey!'' She exclaimed, an offended look on her face. ''I'm Canadian too, jackass!" _

_''I think you've pissed her off, Randal.'' Chris told him._

_''He just wants to provoke her so she wraps her 'thighs of steel' around him.'' Paul wiggled his eyebrows suggestively._

_Randy laughed at the faint blush that covered her cheeks. ''I don't think she's stupid enough to think that she could beat me, right babe?''_

_''Of course not... I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of everyone.''_

_''Ooooh!" Nora and Amy cried in unison._

_They all watched on in amusement as Randy let out a surprised laugh, arching an eyebrow at her as she crossed her arms over her chest pointedly. They had a brief stare-down, before he whipped off his t-shirt and rolled into the ring._

_''We need to film this...'' Chris told everyone._

_''Already got it covered, man.'' Matt waved his phone at him gleefully. ''I've been filming the whole thing.''_

_Randy smirked as he stood opposite her, bouncing on the balls of his feet before flexing the muscles in his chest. He let his eyes scan her form appreciatively, the workout bra and capris hugging her curves._

_Alexa tore her eyes away from her boyfriend's naked chest and rolled her neck before smirking at him. ''You're going down, Orton." _

_''Oh, you wish, babe.'' He responded with a lascivious wink._

_Her mouth dropped open at the innuendo before she contorted her face into a neutral expression before lunging at him. Expecting this, he swung his arm out and she expertly ducked under it and ran towards the ropes as he turned around. As she bounced back she jumped up, planting her feet in his chest and wrapping her hands around the back of his neck before pulling all of her weight back towards the mat and kicking him over her body. _

_Randy sailed through the air and landed on his back with a loud thud. "Fuck." He moaned._

_Alexa scrambled to her feet as she waited for him to stand, smiling to herself when she saw the annoyed look on his face. As soon as he was upright, he charged at her only to land flat on his face when she dropped down and swept his feet from under him._

_Before he knew what was happening, she slapped him in a cross armbar, the same move Chris had used on her earlier. Her feet were locked at the ankles over his chest and she had his wrist in a vice-like grip. _

_He swore under his breath, quickly realizing that he wasn't getting out of it, no matter how much he struggled against her. _

_Alexa smiled to herself when she heard Paul's booming laugh come from outside the ring, the others laughter soon joining his. She pushed her pelvis out a little more, making his elbow twinge painfully. He let out a heavy sigh as he reached up and tapped three times on the top of her leg._

* * *

Darren's voice brought her back to the present. _''I still have that footage somewhere, I'll have to dig it out.''_

''Did you ask Colby and Jon to invite me out with them tonight?'' She asked, completely changing the subject.

_''No...''_

''Liar.''

_''You've been down at FCW for months now, it's about time you made some friends.'' _He told her softly.

''I guess...'' She pondered that for a few minutes before something else popped into her head. ''Hey, do I really walk around looking like I want to kill somebody?''

_''Why would you say that?''_

''Just something Jon said earlier.''

_''Yes, that sounds like Jon.'' _He said with a laugh.

''What's his deal anyway?''

_''He's brilliant, really talented... When he first came here, they were doing a presentation skills workshop... the trainers were picking on the people they thought were unimpressive. They were asking developmental guys to go up and cut promos, just to see if they had the mustard to stand out. One of them wanted to see what 'Mox' could do, not really expecting him to turn anything out. Jon then got in the middle of the ring and proceeded to cut a promo that was so intense that it made one of the guys piss himself. After that, he was given the green light to move straight up to the TV tapings. That was before even seeing him wrestle.''_

''Impressive.'' She whistled, knowing that he didn't heap praise like that on just anybody.

_''He's definitely one to watch, that's for sure... I should let you go. I know you females like to spend hours getting ready.''_


	3. Chapter 3

Alexa paced through her living room, glancing over at the clock. Colby would be stopping by any minute to pick her up and she couldn't remember the last time she had felt so nervous.

Her make-up was to perfection; a light layer of foundation covered the blemishes on her face. Her lips were coated a deep red and she had miraculously managed to pull of the smoky-eye effect, probably from all the times she had spent watching other people do it for her. Deciding not to bother straightening the natural waves of her hair, she let her chestnut locks flow down to the middle of her back.

She was wearing a black, bustier-style crop-top which was embellished with lace, showing off her toned midriff. With that she had on a tangerine orange coloured asymmetric, waterfall skirt, with the front reaching mid-thigh. Her feet were cased in a pair of black, strappy wedges which added a few inches to her 5'7'' frame.

Hearing a succession of knocks, she quickly slipped on her black leather jacket before grabbing her purse and making her way over to the door. She greeted Colby with a friendly smile. ''Hey.''

He grinned back at her. ''Hey, you look nice.''

''Thank you.'' She looked over his jeans and dress shirt combination as she stepped outside. ''You too.''

They made their way over to his car in a comfortable silence, strapping themselves in before setting off. ''I feel I should give you a heads up, a couple of the girls are super excited that you're coming tonight. Be ready for fan-girling.''

Alexa let out a groan and leaned back on the head-rest. ''Way to make me even more nervous...''

''It'll be fine.'' He laughed, sparing her a quick glance as he drove. ''Why are you nervous?''

''In case you didn't notice, I've been a bit socially inept lately. I don't want them to have this... big expectation of meeting 'Sierra' when I'm not her any more...'' She told him honestly, blushing when she saw the perturbed look on his face. ''Sorry. I don't usually talk this much but I did a few shots before you came, to calm my nerves...''

''It's alright.'' Colby shot her a warm-hearted smile. ''I know we've literally only just met but if you ever need anything, you know where I am... and that's not me hitting on you, I have a girlfriend, it just never hurts to have another friend.''

''Thank-you... you're not going to fan-girl over me too, are you.''

''You wish.''

They carried on making idle chit-chat until they reached the bar, Colby giving her shoulder a small squeeze to reassure her before they walked inside. After heading to the bar to get their drinks, the pair wandered around for a few minutes as they searched for everyone. He eventually spotted them over in the corner of the room and he gestured for her to follow him.

They weaved their way through the crowd and she eyed the people around the table as they approached. Trinity 'Naomi' McCray, Celeste 'Kaitlyn' Bonin and April 'AJ Lee' Mendez were sat on one side of the large table while Curtis 'Johnny Curtis' Hussey, Tyler 'Brad Maddox' Kluttz and Ettore 'Big E Langston' Ewen took up the other side.

As soon as the pair came into view, the entire table fell into silence and Alexa shifted nervously before giving them an awkward wave. ''Hey.''

Colby laughed before taking pity on her, stepping forward and making the introductions. The small group shuffled around and he and Alexa slid into the booth. ''Where's everyone else?''

''Jon's at the bar and I think Joe went to the men's room.'' Curtis told him before taking a long swig of his drink.

''So, Lex, do you know many people down here?'' April asked curiously.

''Me and Darren are pretty tight and I'm good friends with Joe.'' Alexa took a sip of her drink. ''I've known Shaul since she was a baby.''

Colby turned to her with a questioning look. ''Were your families close growing up or something?''

She opened her mouth to respond when April let out a little huff beside her. ''She grew up with the Guerrero family after her father passed away. Eddie's brother, Mando helped train her.''

Colby's eyes widened at the smaller woman's rant before glancing sideways at Alexa, who chuckled before nodding. ''She's right... Let me guess, Google?''

Everyone laughed as April sent her a sheepish look, a light blush covering her cheeks. ''Yeah, sorry.''

''Stalker.'' Celeste covered her comment with a cough.

They all laughed and April shot her a glared before turning to Alexa with a smile. ''Can I ask you something?''

''Of course.''

''Do you wear contacts?''

Alexa chuckled, her eyes were naturally a unique violet colour and she had been plagued with that question for years. ''Nope, all natural.'' She finished off her drink before getting to her feet. ''I'm going to head to the bar, does anyone want anything?''

Everybody politely told her what drinks they were having and she grabbed her purse before making her way over to the bar. She walked away with a small grin, seeing April, not so discretely, pick up her cell phone and show the group her Wikipedia page.

She ordered the drinks and the bartender loaded them all on to a tray for her, which she carefully carried back through the crowd. As she neared the table, her eyes caught sight of Jon and beside him sat the hulking form of Joe 'Roman Leakee' Anoa'i. They had first met in 2007 when he had been attending the annual Hall of Fame ceremony when his father had been inducted. She had been good friends with his brother Matt 'Rosey' Anoa'i during his stint in the WWE.

Joe had his back to her so, deciding to have some fun, she crept up behind him and leaned down so she was closer to his ear. ''Malō, susu poki.''

He had just taken a swig of beer which he promptly choked on, causing the entire table to break out laughing. Jon gave him a hard pat on the back as Colby took the tray out of her hands and set it down on the table.

Once Joe's coughing and spluttering had subsided, he stood and pulled her into a quick hug before pulling back and narrowing his eyes at her. ''I'm going to kill Matt, why would he think teaching you Samoan was a good idea?''

She just grinned at him as she slipped into the empty seat next to Jon. ''He only taught me the dirty stuff.''

Trinity turned to her with a questioning look. ''Girl, what did you say to him?''

''I just said hello.'' She shrugged nonchalantly, reaching out to pick up her glass.

''Before she called me a cock-sucker.'' Joe added, making the group chuckle. He took a gulp of his drink before looking over at her. ''I didn't think you were going to come...you look great, by the way.''

''No, she looks fucking hot.'' Jon drawled as his eyes raked over her body, not even trying to hide it. A rosy hue appeared on her cheeks and Joe slapped him upside the head, quickly turning his smirk into a frown. ''What was that for?''

* * *

The next few hours had flown by and Alexa was pleasantly surprised to find herself actually enjoying herself. Tyler, Ettore, Trinity, Celeste and Curtis had all called it a night and left a while ago, leaving the others to entertain themselves at the table. They had bought two bottles of tequila and AJ, Alexa, Jon and Joe were playing Never Have I Ever. Colby was the designated driver for the night so he was just watching on in amusement.

''Okay, never have I ever... pissed my pants in public.'' April started, glancing around.

Nobody moved for a second before Alexa rolled her eyes a chugged back her shot.

''How public we talking?'' Joe asked with a grin.

''House show.'' She mumbled, scowling when they laughed. ''I had Trish in a headlock and she was trying to fight out of it, one of her elbows hit me really hard in the bladder. Luckily, I was wearing pants that night...''

They laughed again and Colby turned to look at Jon expectantly. ''Shouldn't you drink too?''

''What?'' Jon asked, confused.

''Well, I find it extremely hard to believe that you've never pissed yourself in public.'' He teased.

''Well I haven't, so fuck you.''

They all laughed and looked towards Alexa, who was trying to think of something. ''Um, never have I ever been in handcuffs.''

''The metal kind or the furry kind?'' Jon winked at her.

''Either.'' She said, thankful that her cheeks were already red from all the alcohol she had consumed.

He kept his eyes locked on hers as he swallowed his drink and slammed the glass back down. ''Never have I ever done something I regret.'' Jon stated, watching as April and Joe both downed their tequila while Alexa's remained untouched. ''I'm sure you've done things you regret, sweetheart.''

''I don't do regrets.''

''There must be something you wish you could go back and change.'' Joe pointed out.

''There's a ton of stuff I wish I could go back and change... doesn't mean that I regret any of it. Everything happens for a reason. Even if the reason is that you're stupid and you make bad decisions.'' She looked over to find Jon's gaze fixed on her and she quickly looked away. ''Whose next?''

Joe raised his hand and spoke after a few moments. ''Never have I ever cheated on someone.''

Nobody drank and Colby snorted, patting him on the back. ''That means you have to do the shot, big man.''

He did it without complaint, grimacing as the liquid burned a path down his throat. ''Yeah, that kind of backfired on me...''

''Never have I ever had a one night stand.'' April piped up.

Jon snapped his shot back as the others watched with a smirk. ''Really? None of you have just hooked up with someone for the night?'' April and Joe shook their heads before he turned to Alexa. ''Come on, _you_ must have!"

''What's that supposed to mean?'' She asked, an offended expression on her face.

''Well, when you were on the road all the time, you must have... needed to scratch that itch at some point.''

''I had my boyfriend on the road with me, I didn't need to go out to bars looking for random hook ups.'' Alexa told him evenly.

''What about before you got together? Or after you broke up, that is assuming you're not still together.''

April, who had obviously heard some of the gossip, was pulling her finger across her throat from beside her, gesturing for him to shut up. Joe was watching her, expecting her to blow up at any minute while Colby was just looking between the pair in confusion.

''We got together when I was nineteen. Before that I had been in Mexico and Ring of Honor, working my ass off. I was focused on wrestling, not getting laid... And no, we're not together anymore.'' She grabbed the shot glass and gulped it down.

''You realize that he wasn't enough man for you? Decided to find someone who was?'' He pushed teasingly, ignoring the looks he was getting from the others.

Colby shook his head, knowing this wasn't going to end well. ''Jon-''

''It's okay.'' Alexa cut him off with a wave of her hand before facing Jon again. ''Actually, it was the other way around, I obviously wasn't enough woman for him and he cheated on me... I only found out through the dirt sheets nine months later, when the woman he slept with popped out his kid...''

Jon gaped at her, a nonplussed expression on his face as he tried to soak in everything he had just heard. Darren had told him and Colby that she had been through some heavy stuff and that she could use some friends, but he had never imagined how bad it had actually been.

Alexa reached out and grabbed the half empty bottle of tequila before standing. ''I'm just going to head out. Um, thanks for a good night...'' She flashed them a small smile before and left before anybody could stop her

April, Colby and Joe turned to him simultaneously, similar expressions of exasperation on their faces.

''Dude, you're an idiot.'' Colby admonished.

''How was I supposed to know?'' He looked over at April. ''You obviously knew, why didn't you say something?''

Her mouth dropped open and she glared at him angrily. ''I tried stopping you, but you just don't know when to keep your mouth shut.''

''She's left her jacket.'' Joe pointed out, quickly interrupting the bickering.

''I'll go after her and apologize.'' Jon told them, reaching over to pick up the leather jacket as he got to his feet.

''Make sure she gets home okay.'' Colby said, a warning look on his face. ''And be nice, dude.''

He scoffed. ''I'm always nice.''

* * *

Alexa had only made it halfway down the street before realizing she had no idea where she was. As soon as she had stepped out into the fresh air, all the alcohol had seemed to hit her full force, which made her sense of direction even worse.

She flopped herself down on the curb with a sigh and unscrewed the cap from the bottle, taking a long swig before replacing the lid. She wedged the bottle between her thighs while she leaned forward and unbuckled her shoes. A satisfied groan escaped her lips when he feet were freed from their confines, the shoes looked great but weren't very comfortable.

''Man, you've got some ugly toes.''

Alexa turned her head to the side, rolling her eyes when she caught sight of Jon. ''No, I don't.''

''Yeah, you do.'' He insisted, lowering himself to sit down beside her. ''They're practically like fingers.''

''Well, then just focus on the middle one.'' She told him as she wiggled them.

He snorted and passed over her jacket. ''You left this inside.''

''Thanks.'' She shrugged it on before she faced him. ''Sorry about before... I know I came across like a complete bitch an-''

''It's fine.'' Jon interjected. ''I should've dropped it. I need to learn when to keep my mouth shut.''

A small smile appeared on her lips after a few moments. ''Is it weird that I kind of like it?''

''My mouth?'' He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

''Your bluntness.'' She amended, turning away from him as she fiddled with the straps of her shoes. ''All people seem to do around me is walk on egg shells, it's nice to have someone not give a shit and just be real.''

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, passing the bottle back and forth between them. Jon eventually broke the quiet with his raspy voice. ''I hope you at least got a good hit in.''

She let out a laugh and shook her head. ''I wish I had.''

''Why didn't you? I mean, you don't exactly seem the time to just take things lying down.''

Alexa snorted at his unintentional pun and faced him with a wry smile. ''Actually, I did take it lying down, literally.''

''Okay, I'm lost...'' Jon said as he watched her take a swig. ''I'm missing something aren't I?''

''I broke my neck the day after it all came out...''

He looked at her sympathetically. ''Fuck, that's rough... it makes sense now though, why you're so...''

''Bitter?''

''Damaged.''

''I am nowhere near drunk enough for this conversation...''

''I think you've had enough, sweetheart.'' He swiped the bottle away as she tried to raise it to her lips, laughing at she pouted. ''Come on, let's get you home.''

* * *

A/N - Thanks for the review AshleighxAwsome, glad you're enjoying the story! K, I've removed the old story because I don't plan on going back to it. I'll be using parts of it in this story though, as flashbacks.


	4. Chapter 4

After their little heart-to-heart the night before, Jon had walked her home. The pair had been engrossed in conversation throughout the entire journey. Alexa hated to admit it, but she had been a little sad when they parted ways.

As soon as she was home, she had pulled out her laptop and scoured YouTube for Jon's indie matches. She had sat, enthralled, for hours as she diligently watched everything she could find.

He wasn't a wrestler of beautiful manoeuvres, he was a pure brawler and he fought the same way a dog would fight over a piece of meat. He was just as comfortable delivering a cross face chicken wing as he was swinging a steel chair, the majority of his matches ended with him covered in his own blood, and he seemed to enjoy it. Even if you weren't a fan of hardcore wrestling, you had to appreciate the intensity he brought to the table. He certainly knew how to tell a story and stay in character throughout his matches. He adapted to his opponents in a way that few wrestlers could and he produced entertaining matches relying on perfect timing, crowd manipulation and his vivid facial expressions.

And she watched avidly as he delivered some of the most compelling promos in independent wrestling, perhaps even all of professional wrestling, that she had ever seen.

_''I owe pro wrestling. It's the only reason I'm still alive, and it pisses me off, and it makes me sick, everybody else thinks wrestling owes them something. All the time, me me me. I should be champion. I should be a featured performer. I shouldn't be paired with this guy in a team. I should get more mic time. I should get this, whatever. I love pro wrestling, and I owe pro wrestling. It doesn't owe me anything. Because it's given me the only thing that makes me happy, the only high in this world that makes it worth getting up out of bed every day, and when it hits my bloodstream, and it courses through my veins, and explodes in my heart and the warm feeling coming over my brain, the whole world makes sense. And that's what I owe pro wrestling." _

He was an incredible talent with unlimited potential and a ton of charisma, she could understand why Darren liked him so much. It also made her realize something else, something that she knew could would her a lot of trouble.

She was really attracted to him.

Alexa had thought he was pretty good-looking when she had first set eyes on him upon his arrival to FCW. And last night... there was just something about him in person, though, that made him infinitely more attractive. But after watching all of his killer promos and matches, seeing his passion for wrestling... that had been a big turn on for her.

She had just decided to wave it off as a little crush, knowing it would eventually fizzle out. She didn't need the drama of a relationship right now. She needed to pull her head out of her ass and get back in that ring.

Alexa frowned as she walked into the FCW building and found it relatively quiet. Usually there was a lot of hustle and bustle going on, with people running around everywhere. She dumped her bag in the locker room before heading to the practice ring, where she assumed Darren would be waiting for her to start their session.

As she walked, she heard familiar voices echo down the hallway. With every step, the voices became clearer and she groaned when she realized what it was.

_''She's a lot stronger than she looks! Right, Adam?''_

_''She's got thighs of steel, man.''_

_''Dude, they are Canadian...''_

_''Ah, that explains it.''_

_''Hey! I'm Canadian too, jackass!"_

_''I think you've pissed her off, Randal.'' _

Darren, the sneaky fucker, had found the footage that she was hoping he had forgotten about.

Sighing, she peered around the doorway and saw the familiar scene being played out on the television in the corner. Colby, Joe, Jon, Trinity, Celeste, April, Curtis, Ettore and Shaul stood off to the side as Darren was commenting on the sparring, pointing out to the women how easy it was to take down someone bigger than you.

Alexa slowly walked into the room and came to a stop just behind Colby and Joe, peering in between them to watch the screen.

A few minutes later, the video finally cut and Darren turned to face everyone, a smile breaking out on his face when he spotted her. ''Ah, there she is!"

Joe and Colby jumped back in shock after turning to find her right behind them, making her let out a small chuckle. ''Hey.''

''That was pretty neat, Lex.'' Trinity told her with a grin.

April nodded from beside her. ''Totally. Think you could show me that Muta lock sometime?''

''Sure thing.''

''If you two are going to be all over each other in the ring, we want to watch.'' Curtis told them, a lewd smirk on his face.

''Don't be such a prev, Curt.'' April sent him an admonishing look.

''Yeah, or I'm sure Lex will happily kick your ass too.'' Celeste threatened as she pointed her finger at him.

Alexa stepped back and held her hands up. ''I'm kicking nobody's ass... not yet, anyway.''

''But she totally could kick all of your asses.'' Shaul told the guys smugly.

''Not all of them.'' Alexa shook her head. ''I think Ettore would eat me for breakfast.''

''I'd eat y-''

Colby quickly reached out and slapped his hand over Jon's mouth, knowing exactly what the other man was going to say. ''Dude, no.''

''Do you know what her nickname for you is?'' Shaul asked the big man, a big grin on her face as she tried not to laugh.

Ettore glanced between the two Latinas with a bemused expression. ''What?''

''Don't you fucking dare.'' Alexa warned, fixing the younger woman with a stern look.

''He'll find it funny!"

''Shaul, I swear to Go-''

''Choc Lesnar!" Shaul blurted out, before letting out a loud snort.

Alexa closed her eyes in mortification as everyone started laughing. ''I was drunk at the time...''

Ettore, luckily, also found his new moniker funny and let out a guffaw. ''That's hilarious.''

Jon turned to her, his eyes crinkled in amusement. ''Do _I _have a nickname?''

Shaul was about to respond until a quick glare from Alexa made her snap her mouth closed. Darren moved over to them and clapped his hands together. ''Right. Everybody out except Alexandra, Colby, Joe and Jon.''

Alexa shot the man a look of confusion as everyone started to leave. ''Okay, first of all, stop calling me Alexandra. Second of all, I thought we were going to start with my training.''

Darren just smiled at her. ''We are. I've enlisted some help.''

''Great, now even more people get to see how badly I suck.''

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving her a squeeze. ''Trust me.''

She nodded and they walked towards the ring, finding Jon and Colby sparring inside while Joe was doing something by the corner. Moving closer, she let out a sigh when she saw them arranging several padded crash mats where the rings steps were usually set up.

Alexa's lips curled into a smile when as she watched Colby do a series of beautiful aerial moves, wishing she could get back up there and do the same. "Impressive Lopez." She commended as she leaned forward on the apron. "Me and you would make a pretty cool tag-team."

Colby laughed and looked down at her. ''We could call ourselves the High-flying Hotties.''

''Please. You'd both need to be hot for that to work.'' Jon scoffed, sending her a cheeky wink.

Alexa just shook her head, slowly getting used to his flirtatious nature. She reached up and grabbed the top rope, using it to heave herself up before stepping into the ring. Darren joined them straight after and asked Jon to go and stand on the outside with Joe. The Englishman guided her over to the corner, all the crash mats were laid out all around the base and the two men on the outside were positioned nearby.

''You think they're going to catch me if I fall?'' She asked, jerking her thumb towards them.

''They will if they have to.''

''Yeah, we've got you, sweetheart.'' Jon added.

She rolled her eyes as she looked down at him. ''Please, you couldn't catch a cold.''

Jon looked momentarily offended as Darren smothered a laugh. ''Let's just try, flower.'' He gave her arm a quick squeeze before moving back a few feet to stand beside Colby.

Alexa could practically feel her heart pound against her ribcage as she stepped closer to corner, feeling the panic rising as she reached the ropes. She ducked through them and stepped out on to the apron, taking a deep breath to try to calm herself before she started to climb.

As soon as both feet had left the apron and she stood on the bottom rung, she felt her hands start to shake on the ropes. Trying to persevere, she lifted her right leg up and planted her foot on the second rung. The room started spinning and she froze, feeling her grip on the ropes start to falter.

''I can't... I can't.'' She whimpered as her vision blurred from her oncoming anxiety attack. Closing her eyes, she tried to catch her breath which was coming out in short bursts.

Before she could even attempt to climb down herself, she felt someone wrap their arms firmly around her waist and hoist her down. Not caring who it was, she buried her head in their chest, her body shaking violently. She desperately tried to calm down her breathing and stop the attack as the arms holding her up gently rubbed her back and she could hear quiet words of comfort being spoken.

Alexa tilted her head back, glancing up at the man keeping her upright as her trembling hand reached up to wipe the tears pooling along her lashes. She opened her mouth to speak only to have him shush her quietly.

''Just breathe, okay?'' Jon told her as he gently rubbed her arms, trying to calm her down.

Her breathing eventually slowed down and she mustered a faint smile when Darren appeared in front of her. ''I'm sorry.''

He smiled warmly at her. ''You've got nothing to be sorry for. You manager to climb higher than you have before, you did well.''


	5. Chapter 5

**June 27th 2011 **

It had been a couple of weeks since Alexa's first failed attempt to face her fear with Darren, and she had repeated the same process more times than she could count since. If he was getting impatient with her then he was hiding it well; he had been nothing but supportive and continued to encourage her.

She had grown closer to Colby and Jon, spending most of her time with them when they weren't busy. She had also started to become really good friends with some of the girls; Darren was pleased that she was no longer being so anti-social, telling her it was helping to re-build her confidence.

''Lex, hurry the fuck up!" Shaul's shriek invaded her thoughts.

''Simmer down, I'm coming!" She shouted back.

Alexa had received a text from Phil earlier, telling her that she _had _to watch the show tonight. The questioning reply she had sent had been left unanswered, much to her annoyance. She had hoped to be able to watch it from the comfort of her sofa, but the show was starting in a few minutes and she was still at the FCW building.

She quickly shoved her hair up into a sloppy bun before exiting the locker room and making her way to the small lounge area they had set up. She dropped down into the seat next to the younger woman, lifting her legs and resting them on her lap. Both women's eyes were fixed on the screen as Raw kicked off, watching as Shawn Michaels strutted down to the ring.

Alexa had missed a lot while she had been out. Shortly after her injury, the WWE had introduced the new PG rating. Personally, she wasn't a fan and the only positive she could see was that she wouldn't have to compete in bra and panties matches when she returned.

A lot of people had either left or had been released; Jeff Hardy, Carlito, Batista, Shane Helms, Matt Hardy, Maria Kannelis, Chavo Guerrero, Mickie James and Victoria. Adam had announced his retirement months ago after Wrestlemania, he had been heartbroken.

It was really hard; knowing that when, not if, she returned, that a lot of the people she had known and been friends with were gone.

The women's division had also changed drastically since she had been gone. The historic Women's Championship had been moved into retirement and had been replaced by the Diva's Championship. Alexa absolutely hated the term 'Diva', why didn't they just call them 'Superstars' like they did with the men? It was one thing to distinguish between the genders, it is another to treat them like second-class citizens. The company line was that they were using the dictionary term for diva, referring to a 'highly talented female performer'. But she sill thought it was a load of bull.

''Lex!"

Her head snapped to the side, her eyes looking at Shaul questioningly. ''What?''

''I asked where Jon was.'' She laughed.

''How the hell should I know?'' Alexa's brow furrowed in confusion.

''Please, you two have practically been attached at the hip lately.'' Shaul raised an eyebrow at her friend. ''Although, I bet you'd prefer to be attached by something else.''

''Shaul!" She buried her face in her hands as the other woman cackled beside her. ''And to think, you used to be such a sweet little girl...''

''Don't try and change the subject, I know you like him.''

''Of course I do, he's a great guy.'' Alexa said, rolling her eyes at Shaul's raised eyebrow. ''Just drop it, please.''

''Okay... but only if you admit that you think he's cute.''

''He's not cute... he's hot.'' She admitted with a small grin, before frowning when the other woman glanced over her shoulder and snorted.

''Who's hot?''

Alexa turned around to find Jon standing behind her, arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face. ''Uh...'' She turned and her eyes fell on the television screen. ''The Miz...''

''Yeah, she was just saying how he'd totally get it, right Lex?'' Shaul goaded.

Jon didn't look convinced and just sunk down on the seat beside her. ''Really? Dude looks like a frog.''

Alexa cocked her head to the side as she studied the man on the screen. ''He kind of does...''

''What up, bitches!" Colby cried as he suddenly came running into the room, jumped over the couch and landing across the three of them. ''Fuck!"

Unfortunately for him, Alexa had decided to shift her position at the same time he landed, causing her knee to hit a rather sensitive area.

April and Ettore walked into the room just as he rolled off them and onto the floor, cupping himself with his hands. ''I'm not even going to ask.'' She said, shaking her head as she took a seat across from them.

Ettore pumped his hands up and down in the air as he leaned against the wall. ''Choc Lesnar has arrived!"

''I'm never going to live that down, am I?'' Alexa groaned, face-palming.

''I'm thinking of using it as my new ring name.''

Alexa hushed everyone as they laughed, seeing Punk appear on the screen. After interfering in John Cena's match, he grabbed a mic and sat down at the top of the ramp.

''_John Cena, while you lay there, hopefully as uncomfortable as you possibly can be, I want you to listen to me. I want you to digest this, because before I leave in three weeks with your WWE Championship, I have a lot of things I wanna get off my chest.'' _

_There was a mixture of boos and cheers from the crowd before he continued._

_''I don't hate you, John. I don't even dislike you. I like you a hell of a lot more than I like most people in the back. I hate this idea that you're the best... because you're not. I'm the best. I'm the best in the world. There's one thing you're better at than I am... and that's kissing Vince McMahon's ass... You're as good at kissing Vince's ass as Hulk Hogan was. I don't know if you're as good as Dwayne... he's a pretty good ass-kisser... always was and still is. Oops... I'm breaking the fourth wall.''_

Alexa's eyes widened as she watched her friend wave to the camera that had been on him, a sarcastic smile on his face.

_''I am the best... wrestler... in the world. I've been the best ever since Day One when I walked into this company, and I've been vilified and hated since that day because Paul Heyman saw something in me that nobody else wanted to admit. That's right, I'm a Paul Heyman guy. You know who else was a Paul Heyman guy? Brock Lesnar... and he split, just like I'm splittin', but the biggest difference between me and Brock is that I'm going to leave with the WWE Championship.''_

_''I've grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon's imaginary brass rings that it's finally dawned on me that they're just that. They're completely imaginary. The only thing that's real is me, and the fact that day in and day out, for almost six years, I've proved to everybody in the world that I am the best on this microphone, in that ring, and even on commentary. Nobody can touch me. And yet, no matter how many times I prove it... I'm not on your lovely little collectors' cups, I'm not on the cover of the program, I'm barely promoted, I don't get to be in movies, I'm certainly not on any crappy show on the USA Network, I'm not on the poster of WrestleMania, I'm not on the signature that's produced at the start of the show.'' _

_''I'm not on Conan O'Brian, I'm not on Jimmy Fallon, but the fact of the matter is I should be, and trust me, this isn't sour grapes, but the fact that "Dwayne" is in the main event of WrestleMania next year and I'm not makes me sick!''_

''Is this a work?'' Jon asked from beside her.

Alexa shook her head, her eyes taking in Phil's angry expression and John's unsure one from his position down in the ring. ''No, I don't think so...''

_''Oh hey, let me get something straight, those of you who are cheering me right now... you are just as big a part of me leaving as anyone else, because you're the ones sipping out of those collector cups right now, you're the ones that buy those programs that my face isn't on the cover of, and then at five in the morning at the airport, you try to shove it in my face so you can get an autograph and sell it on eBay because you're too lazy to get a real job... I'm leaving with the WWE championship on July 17th and hell, who knows, maybe I'll go defend it in New Japan Pro Wrestling... maybe I'll go back to Ring of Honor...''_

_He turned to the camera again, giving another wave._

_''Hey, Colt Cabana, how you doing? The reason I'm leaving is you people because after I'm gone you're still going to pour money into this company - I'm just a spoke on the wheel - the wheel's gonna keep turning. And I understand that... that Vince McMahon's going to make money despite himself... he's a millionaire who should be a billionaire... you know why he's not a billionaire? It's because he surrounds himself with glad-handing nonsensical douche-bag yes-men, like John Lauranitis, who's gonna tell him everything he wants to hear... and I'd like to think that maybe this company will be better after Vince McMahon is dead, but the fact is it's gonna get taken over by his idiotic daughter and his doofus son-in-law and the rest of his stupid family.''_

_''Let me tell you a personal story about Vince McMahon. You know we do this whole ani-bullying campaign...''_

_His mic was suddenly cut off and he stood up angrily, shouting to the camera that he couldn't be silenced._

* * *

''Hey fuckface... what's going on?''

_''You watched?''_

It had been over an hour since Phil had dropped his epic 'pipebomb' and Alexa had only just managed to get in touch with him. She was in the training room, lying in near-darkness in the middle of the ring as she held the phone up to her ear.

''Yeah, dude, I watched.'' She confirmed. ''What's going on?''

_''I don't even fucking know anymore.'' _Phil heaved out a sigh on the other end. _''My contracts up in a couple of weeks and you know I've been unhappy for a while... Tonight, Vince said I could 'air my grievances' but that I had to run them by him first I knew the fucker wouldn't let me say everything I wanted to, so I gave him a sheet of paper with talking points that were different from what I actually said.''_

''Yeah, I guessed that when they cut you off...''

_''Everyone backstage agrees with me, Lex. When __I walked past this gigantic group of people who were all waiting at the bottom of the stairs in Gorilla to see me coming out. I walked out and got to see everyone's legit reaction. It wasn't like, "Oh, he's coming," stone-faced. I walked behind people, and they had their hands on their heads, eyes wide open, looking around like, "Did you hear that?". If I can do that with employees... just think of what I did with the live audience... You haven't been around, you don't know what it's like...''_

''You think you have it so bad... try being a woman in this business, Phil. People see the 'Diva's' matches as nothing more than a bathroom break. The few women left in the company who have actual in-ring ability, are underrated, underutilized and are frequently passed over in favour of the models... the division's a sinking ship.'' She told him angrily. ''You have no fucking idea...''

_''Lex-''_

''You used to be my hero, Phil... the CM Punk... the Phil... that I've known for years wouldn't give a shit that he didn't have the belt... that he wasn't on any programs or collector cups or any of that other meaningless bullshit... All he ever wanted to do, was wrestle in front of those people...'' Alexa swallowed, feeling her voice start to crack as she carried on. ''I'm your friend, I love you and I'll always be here for you... but you've changed, you're not him anymore... you're nothing more than a glory hunter.'' She ended the call before he could respond, letting out a loud sigh as she threw it across the ring.

''That was a bit harsh.'' A husky voice cut through the darkness, before the lights flickered to life.

''Yeah, well, truth hurts.'' She muttered, feeling the ring shake as he climbed in. ''What do you want, anyway?''

Jon dropped down to lay beside her. ''Steve asked me to tell you that Paul's stopping by tomorrow for your meeting.''

Alexa groaned. ''Fantastic... Well, you better make the most of your time with me, I'll probably be gone soon.''

''What are you talking about?''

''My contracts up pretty soon and I doubt they'll want me to re-sign.'' She told him, immediately feeling him shift beside her. Looking over, she found he was sitting up and staring at her. ''What?''

''You don't even seem to care...'' Jon shook his head and let out a humourless laugh. ''I've watched your old matches and listened to interviews that you've done and you can see the _passion _you have for this. Where's that gone, huh? I don't give out compliments lightly - but you're good, really good, better than a lot of the guys!'' He rose to his feet and she watched as he paced around the ring. ''Watching that sparring footage with Darren a couple of weeks ago just proved how talented you are... you're probably technically better than a lot of the guys I've been in the ring with... I know it sucks balls that women's wrestling isn't taken seriously, but how are you planning on changing that perception if you just give up? You were _born _to wrestle...'' He stopped in front of her and held out a hand.

Alexa latched on to it, allowing him to pull her to her feet before speaking softly. ''You said I was damaged.''

''I didn't say it was a bad thing, sweetheart.'' He smiled down at her. ''Damaged people are dangerous... they know they can survive.''

''I doubt I'll survive if I fall and break my neck again.'' She muttered sarcastically before realizing that she had just made a joke out of her injury for the first time since it happened.

He snorted and turned her around to face the corner, keeping both hands on her shoulders as he spoke into her ear. ''Now, you're going to climb your sweet ass up to that top rope and hit me with that corkscrew thing, okay?''

Alexa sighed and moved into the corner, glancing over her shoulder to find he had already laid himself out in the perfect position for her to land the move. She stepped through the ropes, pausing on the other side and peering down at him. ''You do realize that I haven't actually done this move in nearly three years?''

''I trust you.''

Instinctively, her feet started to climb slowly up the rungs as her mind was floored by his declaration. The man barely knew her, yet he was completely trusting her to land a move that could seriously injure them both if it wasn't executed properly. His belief in her was mind-blowing but it seemed gave her the push she needed because, before she knew it, she was stood in a crouched position on the top rope.

Jon watched as she stood stock-still for a few moments, before he tentatively spoke. ''So... you just going to stay there all night?''

Alexa chewed on her bottom lip and looked down at him nervously, her grip tightening on the ropes as she tried to keep herself steady. ''I'm not sure if I can do it.''

''You _can._'' He told her confidently. ''It's like riding a bike... you never forget.''

''I never learned how to ride a bike in the first place, so that's a bit redundant.'' She shot back with a wry smile.

Jon propped himself up on his elbows as he stared up her incredulously. ''You've never ridden a bike?"

''I was more interested in learning how to do a body slam.''

He let out a laugh. ''You're so weird.''

''...sorry.''

''That was a compliment.'' Jon smirked as he flattened his body back down on the mat. ''Come on, I haven't got all night.''

Alexa scowled at him before she closed her eyes, mentally psyching herself up. In her mind, she _knew _she could do this. She had already conquered the biggest fear, which was being on the top rope... all she had to do now was stand up and jump. Statistically, she knew it was unlikely that she would fall again. In all of her years of wrestling, she had only ever fallen from the top that one time, even when she was first training. It was a freak accident.

A freak accident that would continue to control her life if she didn't do this.

Letting out a breath she hadn't even known she was holding in, she slowly let go of the ropes and extended her legs. Before she knew what was going on, her feet had pushed from the ropes and she was flying through the air. Jon let out a soft grunt as she landed on him and his hand came up to rest on Alexa's back as a relieved laugh spilled from her lips.

They remained like that for a few minutes before Jon chuckled and his raspy voice broke the silence. ''Enjoy being on top, do you, sweetheart?''

She tilted her head to meet his eyes with a playful glare. ''Must you cheapen the moment?''

''...Yeah.''


	6. Chapter 6

**28th June 2011**

Alexa wandered into the building the following day feeling better than she had in a long time. She still had a long way to go until she was ready to move back up to the main roster, knowing she needed to work on her in-ring work to build her confidence up again. Paul wasn't due to come in for their meeting for a few hours so she thought she would try to make a start and get some training done beforehand.

She changed into her black yoga shorts and matching sports bra, pulled on her wrestling boots and made her way to the ring. She frowned on her arrival, hoping to find someone to spar with but instead finding it completely deserted. Shrugging, she slipped into the ring anyway and started to run the ropes to warm herself up.

After her muscles had sufficiently warmed up she came to a halt and eyed the corner, wondering if the previous evening had just been a fluke. She walked over and carefully climbed to the top; it still felt uncomfortable to be up there and she was still extremely conscious of falling, but it was progress. She kicked off the ropes, backflipped and landed expertly on her feet before allowing herself a small smile.

''You got up there!"

Alexa turned to find Colby walking over to the ring with a silly grin on his face. ''Yeah, finally! What are you doing here so early?''

''I was meant to meeting Eric to go over our match for Thursday, but he's not here yet.''

''Well, since you're here... I need a sparring partner?''

An hour later, Alexa had worked off most of her ring rust and the pair were having a pretty competitive match.

As the developmental guys started to arrive at the building ready for the day's work, they had steadily grown an audience. At first they just sat at ringside, chatting while they waited for their turn in the ring. But as they continued, more and more people had wandered over just to watch the pair work.

Colby and Alexa were both breathing heavily, exhausted from their unplanned match. They were working effortlessly, calling everything on the fly and surprising everyone watching with their similar, daring styles.

Currently, he was painfully wrenching her arm in a standing wrist lock. She heard a few claps as she did a front forward roll followed by a headspring kip-up, maneuvering herself out of the hold. He ran towards her, one arm outstretched as he went to plough her over with a clothesline. Alexa bent over backwards into a bridging position, a move reminiscent of Trish Stratus. She rose to her feet and span around to floor him with a discus clothesline.

"I keep forgetting I'm not wrestling one of the guys.'' Colby commented as he stood, swiping his hair out of his eyes. ''You're quick."

''No, you're just slow.'' She shot him a teasing grin as they locked up again.

He swung her towards the ropes and as she ran back towards him he pushed her up into the air, palms pressing into her stomach as he attempted a gorilla press drop. She countered, wrapping her legs around his neck and hitting him with a hurricanrana.

While he was down, Alexa cautiously climbed to the top rope and waited for him to stand. When he did, she performed a moonsault, only for him to catch her over his shoulder. She swung herself around and executed a tornado DDT, prompting more cheers from the small audience.

''DeltaWave.'' He muttered to her as they both lay on the mat, trying to catch their breath.

Alexa moved over to the ropes, stepping through them as Colby shuffled closer to the corner.

Glancing across the room, her eyes landed on Jon who was observing her with an intense look on his face. She gave him a small smile before her eyes flickered over to find Darren stood in the doorway, watching on proudly. Next to him, she was surprised to see Paul looking on in interest.

Feeling slightly under pressure, she slowly climbed to the top and steadied herself before hitting a perfect corkscrew shooting star press. She slammed her hand on the mat three times and declared herself the winner before rolling away from Colby. ''Fuck, I'm so unfit...''

He laughed and gave her a pat on the arm. ''You're not, you're just not used to it.''

She pushed herself up and slowly got to her feet. ''Thanks for letting me kick your ass.''

He smiled, giving her a high-five. ''Happy to help.''

Alexa stepped over him and walked over to the ropes, climbing out of the ring before heading over to Paul and Darren.

The latter beamed at her and gave her a one-armed hug. ''That was brilliant, well done!"

''It's a start.'' She told him with a contented smile.

Paul looked her up and down before meeting her eyes with a smirk. "When the fuck did you get abs?"

* * *

Alexa walked out of her meeting with Paul a couple of hours later, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

She had first met Paul during the whole Evolution storyline in 2004, where she had played a small part trying to make Randy leave the group. They worked together again two years later when she briefly 'joined' D-Generation X in their feud against Rated RKO and Lita. She had learned a lot from him, he was such a great guy and she had a lot of respect for him. Which was good, because he was sort of her boss now.

They had negotiated another contract and she had signed on the spot, much to Paul's relief. Obviously after all the trouble with Phil's contract recently, they were expecting more of a fight from her. But that wasn't her style, she just wanted to wrestle.

''Meeting go well?''

Alexa stepped backwards and popped her head around the doorway where the voice had originated. She found Jon and Colby sitting in front of a television set. ''Really well.'' She beamed at them. ''What are you guys watching?''

The two men shared a nervous glance before Jon looked up at her. ''Nothing, just some old wrestling tapes.''

Her eyes narrowed and she stepped further into the room, moving around the back of their chairs so she could see the screen. ''Why are you watching one of my matches?''

Jon jerked his finger towards the other man with a smirk. ''He's obsessed with you.''

''Dude, I am not!" Colby sent a sharp punch to his friend's arm. ''I was just curious after our sparring match earlier, I didn't remember you being that good before.''

''I'm not sure if I should be flattered or offended?'' She told him, raising her eyebrow slightly.

''Uh...''

Alexa and Jon laughed as the other man stuttered, trying to find the right words to placate her. ''It's alright, I know what you mean. They make us tone down the stuff we do in the ring, I never really got to do a lot of the stuff that I wanted to.''

''Why would they do that?'' Jon asked.

''Probably so we didn't make the men look bad.'' She shrugged, memories flooding through her mind as her eyes returned to the paused image on the screen.

* * *

_''The following contest is scheduled for one fall and is for the WWE Women's Championship!'' Lillian announced as Sierra appeared at the top of the ramp. ''Making her way to the ring first, the challenger, from Toronto, Canada... Sierra!" _

_The crowd went crazy for her and she grinned as she walked down the ramp and slid into the ring. She posed on all four turnbuckles before standing in the middle of the ring, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for Victoria to arrive. _

_''And from San Bernardino, California, she is the WWE Women's Champion... Victoria!"_

_Victoria lunged at her opponent as soon as the bell was rang, shoving her roughly to the mat. She kicked her in the back several times before Sierra reached out and caught her boot. She gave it a hard pull and Victoria went slamming down onto the mat. _

_Both women got to their feet and Sierra turned to find Victoria running towards her, arm outstretched. She quickly ducked and caught Victoria in a neckbreaker before going for the cover._

_Victoria easily kicked out after a one count and rose to her feet, charging towards Sierra for a second time. Sierra dropped down and kicked her leg out as she neared her, dropping her with a sharp leg sweep. _

_Sierra yanked Victoria to her feet and swung her into the corner. She ran towards her and jumped up, planting her feet on the top of the other women's thighs before leaning back and pulling her, sending her flying. _

_''Beautiful monkey flip there, by the challenger!" JR commented._

_She quickly covered the champion but Victoria raised her arm just after the two count. Sierra heaved the woman to her feet and whipped her into the ropes, catching her with a Samoan drop on her return. Giving her a swift kick to make sure she was staying down, she ran at the ropes and hit her with a Lionsault._

_1-2- _

_Victoria kicked out just as the referee was moving his hand down for the three count, creating loud boos that echoed throughout the arena. Sierra huffed in frustration and got to her feet, moving over to the corner of the ring. She crouched down slightly as she waiting for the other women to rise to her feet._

_Victoria stood and slowly turned as Sierra ran towards her, planning to hit her with a spear. The older woman dodged and grabbed the back of Sierra's neck as she passed, using her momentum against her and sending her flying through the ropes._

_Sierra landed on the ground with a thud as Victoria jumped out of the ring behind her. She leaned down and roughly took a hold of her hair, dragging her up to her feet. _

_She took a hold of Sierra's head and bounced it against the announcer's table as the referee started the count out. _

_Victoria paid him no attention as she hit her opponent with a few punches before Sierra managed to block one and gained the upper-hand. She delivered a swift kick to Victoria's stomach, sending the women to her knees. Sierra leaned down pulled her up so her head was between her thighs, setting her up for a powerbomb._

_Just as Sierra went to lift her up, Victoria raised her shoulders and flipped her over her shoulder. The crowd went silent as they watched Sierra sail through the air and crash through the announcer's table. _

_''Oh my god!" JR yelled._

_The crowd started up a 'Holy Shit' chant which echoed through the arena as the referee abandoned his count out and rolled out of the ring. He rushed over and crouched down beside the woman who was writhing in agony over the remains of the table._

_After assessing her, he signalled for the bell, ending the match._

_''Sierra's obviously too injured to continue on with the match.'' JR commented._

_King snorted as he looked down at the carnage. ''I'm not surprised! Let's take another look at that.''_

_A replay of what had just transpired played over the titantron, the crowd unanimously chanting 'oooh' as they watched her crash through the table for a second time. _

_Victoria grabbed her title belt and departed up the ramp with it held high above her head while Sierra was being seen to by the referee and a ringside doctor._

* * *

''We worked our asses off in that match, I broke three ribs... it was awesome.''

''I repeat what I said before, you are one weird chick.'' Jon told her with a fond smile.

She shrugged and grinned down at him. ''You love it.''

Colby looked between them, hiding a smile at the flirtatious looks they were giving each other. He opened his mouth, ready to make a snarky comment but was interrupted as a wild April dashed into the room.

''Hey! I've been looking for you, have you got anything going on tonight?''

Alexa tilted her head to the side as she pretended to think. ''Well, my apartment's a mess so I was planning on cleaning... and by cleaning, I mean drinking booze and spraying everything with Febreze.''

The two men let out loud laughs at her comment as April snorted. ''Well, me and the girls are going to this new karaoke bar, we wondered if you wanted to come?''

''Sounds like fun, do you mind if I invite a friend along?''

''Sure, the more the merrier.''

''Hey! Do _we _get an invite?'' Colby chipped in as he looked at them expectantly.

''I thought you were having a 'guys' night over at Jon's?'' April asked.

''We can always come meet you guys after?'' Colby suggested.

Jon nodded. ''There won't be many of us. Curtis is in Phoenix, filming Smackdown and Darren's there too doing the commentary for NXT.''

''You guys can come, on one condition...''

''What?'' Colby asked, a wary look on his face.

''You all have to sing.'' April stated with a smirk.

''A song that _we _choose.'' Alexa added before they could respond.

The two woman left the room after getting them to agree to their conditions, leaving the men alone once again. Seth turned to his friend, giving him a disappointed look as he shook his head.

''What?''

''Dude, April asked Lex out before you did... you need to get your head out of your ass.''

"And what makes you think I want to ask her out?" Jon demanded, raising a brow.

"It's obvious, man. Every time we see her, you can't take your eyes off of her."

"She's got a nice ass." Jon shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant.

* * *

Alexa had invited Chris to join them at the karaoke bar, knowing that he had a few days off and he loved karaoke. As and as soon as he had arrived, Trinity, April and Celeste had been glued to their seats, hanging off his every word as Alexa watched in amusement.

''Tell us some stories from when you were on the road."

Chris chuckled and set down his drink. ''You'll have to give me a minute to think, there's so many...''

''I've got a pretty good one.'' Alexa piped up from beside him, waiting until everyone was listening before she continued. ''So, I like to drive fast. Like, really fast. This one time, I-''

''The party can start, we're here!" Colby announced dramatically as he appeared in front of them, closely followed by Jon and Joe.

They all greeted each other and Chris introduced himself to the guys, not that he really needed to.

Trinity waved her hand impatiently. ''Sit down and shut up, we're trying to listen.''

They all slipped in to the empty seats around the table and Alexa carried on her tale.

''So, I was driving by myself, I think I was in the middle of Ohio or something, there's nobody around for miles and I'm doing, like, eighty-five to ninety in a sixty mile an hour zone. I get pulled over. So this cop goes through everything and eventually tells me that he can't let me drive, because my licence was invalid. I was like, what the fuck? Turns out, I had this other speeding ticket from months before, that I'd forgotten to take care of. So they ended up towing my car and I was stuck on the side of the road with all of my suitcases, waiting for a cab to come pick me up. A little while later, this car comes zooming past me and my phone starts ringing. It's Jeff Hardy, and he's like, are you on the side of the road? I tell him what happened and he turns around to come and pick me up and we head over to the next town.''

''Girl, maybe you should just _not _speed in future.'' Trinity suggested with a grin.

''But I don't have any "driving the speed limit" music.''

Everyone let out bursts of laughter at forlorn expression on her face.

Chris snorted. ''I never knew about that one.''

''There's more?'' Colby asked, shooting her an amused look.

''Lex and cars are _not _a good combination.'' The Canadian told him seriously. ''I've never known anybody like it... Tell them about the ditch!"

''Oh my God.'' Alexa groaned, holding her face in her hands.

''Go on.'' April encouraged.

''Okay, um, we'd just finished Raw in Sioux Falls and I was driving back to Omaha because that's where we were flying out from the next morning. There had been this huge blizzard and the roads had been closed because they didn't want anyone driving. I was riding with Mickie and as soon as they re-opened the roads, off we went. She was telling me to be really careful, because even though the roads had been cleared, there was still a lot of black ice out there. I'm like, pfft, I grew up in Canada, I'm sure I'll be fine.''

Celeste let out a giggle, obviously seeing where this was headed.

''The next thing I know, I'd hit a patch of black ice. We fish-tailed a little but, luckily, I managed to steer the car straight. I was like, fuck, that was a close one. As soon as I said that, the whole back end spun out and we started doing 360 after 360 after 360... We were in the middle of the highway with cars flying by us from both sides. It was like a fucking snow globe, there was all this snow spinning around us... Mickie was hanging on for dear life and we were both screaming...

We eventually stop spinning and we wound up in this ditch, which was in the median in the middle of the road, packed in by about three feet of snow. We manage to get out of the car and I called the tow company, who said they can't come out until morning because of the roads. So, I get Mickie to get behind the wheel and told her we were going to try and rock it. I pushed the car while she gunned it, thinking we'd be able to get it up the hill.''

Alexa glanced around at the rapt faces of her friends while she took a quick swig of her drink.

''It was fucking freezing. I was in three and a half feet of snow and all I was wearing was my gear from the show; booty shorts and a crop top with my little leather jacket over the top. So, I have the car rocking but all that's happening is the tires are spinning and spitting dirty snow all over me. I was frozen to the bone by this point so I grab my phone and text John Cena, telling him that I'm stuck in a ditch and I don't know what to do. Half hour John shows up, along with Chris, Mike Mizanin and John Hennigan and one of our security guys.''

Chris leaned forward with a chuckle. ''And I'll tell you how crazy John is, he was in his sneakers and shorts, the stuff he wears in the ring, and a t-shirt. While the rest of us, minus Lex, were trying to get bundled and wrapped up with as much as we could find, he was out there in a freaking blizzard, in his shorts.''

Alexa snorted and shook her head. ''He was an idiot... anyway, we managed to push the car out of the ditch and back on to the road. We ended up following each other the rest of the way to the hotel, doing thirty miles per hour down the highway.''

Joe let out a whistle after she had finished. ''You were really lucky.''

''I know... you wait until you guys are on the road, you'll soon have some crazy stories to tell.'' Alexa said as she scanned the table, noticing for the first time that none of the late arrivals had drinks. ''I'm heading to the bar, what do you guys want?''

It took her two trips to carry all the drinks back to the table and on her return trip, she looked over to find the table half empty. She plopped down in her seat after handing the drinks out and turned to Jon, who had moved to the seat beside her. ''Where is everyone?''

A slow smirk formed on his lips as he gestured to the stage area. ''April's picking a song for Colby and Chris to sing.''

''You chicken out?''

''I don't sing, sweetheart.'' He declared.

''Why not? It's not like you've got a terrible voice.''

''How do you know?'' Jon raised an eyebrow. ''Has_ someone _been looking me up on the internet?''

Alexa spluttered for words, before pouting. "Bite me."

"Where and how hard?" He quipped, his lips twitching into a smile when a light blush crept over her face.

Luckily, April chose that exact moment to re-appear at the table, saving her from coming up with a response. Instead, she downed the remaining liquid in her glass and let her gaze drift to April.

''Lex, you need to get your phone out to film this, it's going to be awesome!''

Alexa did as she asked, quickly pulling out her iPhone and getting the video recorder ready. ''What-''

''_Oh my God, Becky, look at her butt_!" Colby enunciated the words in a perfect, snobby valley girl voice.

''Holy shit.'' Jon deadpanned.

Alexa help up her phone, zooming in on the two drunken men on the stage as everyone around the table watched in amused disbelief. She miraculously managed to keep the phone still during Chris and Colby's entire performance of Baby Got Back, saving it to her phone to use as future blackmail material.

The pair made their way back to the table to a round of applause for their efforts. Joe raised his hand to high-five his friend, only for Colby to miss completely and smack him in the face.

Alexa snorted and tilted her head towards Jon. ''How many has he had?''

''I'm guessing too many.'' He chuckled before pushing his chair back and standing. ''I'm going to take a piss.''

She crunched up her nose. ''TMI, dude.''

* * *

Ten minutes and some liquid confidence later, Alexa stepped up on to the stage to a massive cheer, mainly coming from their small group in the corner. A couple of them had placed bets with each other over whether she would actually go through with singing their chosen song. The alcohol had served it's purpose and helped lower her inhibitions, and she had never been one to back down from a bet. The opening beat of Rihanna's 'S&amp;M' started to play and she started to sing.

_Na na na_

_Come on_

_Na na na_

_Come on_

_Na na na na na_

_Come on_

* * *

''Ha! She's actually doing it, pay up Tyler!" Celeste shrieked happily, thrusting her hand towards the man.

Tyler grumbled as he pulled some notes out of his wallet and handed them to her as the others laughed.

Joe frowned when he glanced over at Jon, seeing him holding his phone in front of him. ''Dude, are you filming this?''

''Yep.'' He smirked.

* * *

_Feels so good being bad,_

_There's no way I'm turning back._

_Now the pain is my pleasure,_

_Cause nothing could measure._

_Love is great, love is fine,_

_Out the box, out of line._

_The affliction of the feeling,_

_Leaves me wanting more._

_Cause I may be bad,_

_But I'm perfectly good at it._

_Sex in the air,_

_I don't care,_

_I love the smell of it._

_Sticks and stones,_

_May break my bones,_

_But chains and whips,_

_Excite me._

* * *

''She's actually got a really good voice.'' April pointed out.

Chris, meanwhile, had laid his head face down on the table and was muttering to himself. ''I so don't need to see this...''

* * *

_Cause I may be bad,_

_But I'm perfectly good at it._

_Sex in the air,_

_I don't care,_

_I love the smell of it._

_Sticks and stones,_

_May break my bones,_

_But chains and whips,_

_Excite me._

_Na na na na,_

_Come on._

_Come on._

_Come on._

_I like it,_

_Like it._

_Love is great, love is fine,_

_Out the box, out of line._

_The affliction of the feeling,_

_Leaves me wanting more._

_Cause I may be bad,_

_But I'm perfectly good at it._

_Sex in the air,_

_I don't care,_

_I love the smell of it._

_Sticks and stones,_

_May break my bones,_

_But chains and whips,_

_Excite me._

* * *

As she sang, her eyes locked on the familiar pair of dark blue ones. Jon was still seated at the table, reclining back in his chair as he watched her every move. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she noticed that the cheeky fucker was filming her on his phone. Deciding to give him something worth re-watching, she added in some provocative hip action and sang the rest of the song directly to him.

* * *

_Cause I may be bad,_

_But I'm perfectly good at it._

_Sex in the air,_

_I don't care,_

_I love the smell of it._

_Sticks and stones,_

_May break my bones,_

_But chains and whips,_

_Excite me._

_Na na na na,_

_Come on._

_Come on._

_Come on._

_I like it._

_Like it._

_Oh,_

_I love the feeling,_

_You bring to me._

_Oh, you turn me on,_

_It's exactly what,_

_I've been yearning for._

_Give it to me strong,_

_And meet me in my boudoir._

_Make my body say ah, ah, ah,_

_I like it,_

_Like it._

_Cause I may be bad,_

_But I'm perfectly good at it._

_Sex in the air,_

_I don't care,_

_I love the smell of it._

_Sticks and stones,_

_May break my bones,_

_But chains and whips,_

_Excite me._

* * *

A loud cheer went up after Alexa had finished and she laughed, taking a small bow at the edge of the stage before looking over to the table. Jon was clapping slowly as he appraised her, his tongue running over his lower lip.

Trinity, who had been front and centre during her performance, rushed over to her. ''Girl, that was hot! You and Jon were totally undressing each other with your eyes."

"Trin! We were not!" She insisted, a less than innocent look on her face.

The other woman just raised an eyebrow before hooking her arm around hers. ''Let's go dance.''

* * *

Three hours later, Alexa was feeling the happiest that she had in a long time. She had danced her way through the initial mellow, bubbly phase of drinking, and was now quickly heading toward being full on drunk. She had an impromptu dance-off with Celeste and Trinity earlier in the evening. She deservingly won by performing her own unique version of Booker T's Spinaroonie, much to everyone's amusement. She was having a riot.

Alexa slowly made her way over to where the bathrooms were located after the realization that her bladder was close to bursting. Quickly taking care of her business, she was making her way back out when she caught her reflection in one of the mirrors, causing her to stop in her tracks. Her hair was a complete mess, cascading down her back in a sea of tangles. Her eyeliner was smudged and her lipstick had faded, leaving just a slight tint on her lips. Grabbing a paper towel and wetting it slightly under a tap, she used it to get rid of the mess from around her eyes. Running her hands through her hair to get rid of some of the tangles, she hummed to herself as she made her way back to her friends. As soon as she stepped out into the hallway, she ran into what felt like a brick wall. She felt herself stumbling backwards before she felt a pair of strong arms around her waist, keeping her from crashing to the floor.

She blinked a few times, trying to re-focus her gaze, before grinning up at her savior. ''Heeey Jon.''

He bit back a laugh at her inebriated state, gently steadying her. ''Had a little bit to drink this evening?''

''I beat Colby at a drinking game.'' She told him proudly, swaying slightly as she spoke.

''I know, I was there, very impressive.'' He assured as he reached out to steady her again. ''Sweetheart, we better get you out of here and back to your bed."

"That sounds like an excellent plan..." She whispered suggestively, placing her hands on his shoulders to try to balance herself.

Jon gulped, trying to remind himself that it was just the alcohol talking. Before he could say anything in response, she let out a quiet sigh, letting all of her weight fall against him. He laughed softly, cradling her to him and slowly guiding her into the main bar area towards what was left of their group.

April was slumped against Celeste at the table and Chris and Tyler were seated opposite them, having an animated conversation about some TV show he had never heard of. Joe had left a little while ago, having to get up early the following day.

Chris glanced up as they approached and chortled. ''I think it's time she went home.''

Jon nodded in agreement, adjusting his grip on the woman in his arms. His gaze drifted towards April, who was fast asleep and drooling Celeste's shoulder. ''I think it's time we _all_ called it a night.''


	7. Chapter 7

**Sunday 17th July**

The past couple of weeks had flown by; Alexa was slowly getting used to the FCW filming schedule, although she still found it strange filming the shows a month in advance. Her friendships with everyone had grown stronger, especially with Jon. There was just something about him that drew her in like a moth to a flame. She had never felt anything like it before, not even with Randy. But, for the sake of their friendship, she kept pushing her feelings aside in the hope they would disappear.

It was the night of the highly anticipated Money In The Bank Pay-Per-View and the first live WWE event that she had been to in three years. She had received a phone call from Paul three days ago, asking her to fly out to Rosemont, Illinois and attend the event. He had denied it, but she knew his main reason for inviting her was so she could try to talk some sense into Phil. He still hadn't signed his contract and tonight was due to be his last night with the company.

Alexa smiled to herself as she wandered out to the front of house and strolled along the upper tiers of the Allstate Arena. After pacing along several rows of seats and doing a few sets of sprints up the steps, she flopped down in a chair and observed the empty arena with a serene smile. Thousands of fans would soon pile in, wearing their favourite Superstars' t-shirts and wielding homemade signs in their hands.

She had missed this.

Suddenly hearing footsteps echoing behind her, she turned around and a wide grin appeared on her face. ''Jay!"

The Canadian laughed as she jumped out of her seat and leapt towards him, wrapping him in a tight hug. ''Anyone would think you're happy to see me!''

''I am.'' She confirmed as she stepped back from him. ''It's been too long.''

Jason rolled his eyes. ''It's been, like, six months.''

''Like I said, too long.'' She repeated with a smile. ''How did you know I was up here?''

''Paul told me you were coming tonight. And you always used to come up and sit in the stands before every show, I figured tonight wouldn't be any different.''

''You know me so well.'' She said as they settled into some seats. ''Are you missing Adam?''

Jason's face took on a sombre look. ''It's weird without him here but we still talk all the time... we'll always be best friends.''

''Are they still going to do that 'Appreciation Night' for him?''

''Yeah, I think so. Probably when we're in Toronto again, which is sometime in September. Will you be there?''

''With bells on.'' Alexa nodded ardently. ''We've spoke on the phone, but I haven't seen him since just after I had my surgery.''

''How's everything going with your neck?'' Jason questioned.

''Good. All the rehab I've done with Dr. Dokka has really helped, the muscles in my neck are super strong, it almost feels the same as it did before.''

''That's great.'' A wide smile appeared on his face. ''Any idea how long it'll be before you're back?''

''I honestly don't know. I mean, I've only just managed to get over my fear of climbing to the top rope. I've still got a long way to go.''

''Well I, for one, can't wait. I need my prank buddy back again.'' He told her, nudging her shoulder with his.

Alexa grinned to herself, remembering how the four-year prank war had begun.

* * *

_''You want to go swimming?'' Randy asked as he lounged on Alexa's bed in her hotel room._

_''Sure.'' She laughed as Randy jumped off the bed and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the room. "I didn't bring my bathing suit though. I'll just have to stick my feet in." She said as they got into the elevator._

_"No, you're coming in with me.'' He glanced down at his watch. ''It's still early, I'm sure we'll be the only ones in there. You'll just have to strip down..." _

_They made their way through the reception area, soon finding the pool. "Come on, let's get in there!" He began taking off his shirt and quickly slipped out of his jeans, revealing a pair of dark blue boxer shorts. He unclasped his watch and let it drop onto the pile of clothes at his feet._

_"I can't believe you're going in there like that." She said with a smile, shaking her head at him._

_"Why? I mean, I could go in naked, but I thought that would look bad if someone happened to come in." Randy told her with a wink, before he divided in. He popped out of the water and shot her a mischievous grin. "Come on. Get your ass in here before I have to get out and throw you in, fully clothed!"_

_''I don't know Rand, what if-''_

_He rolled his eyes and cut her off. ''Lex, you paraded about in your bra and panties in front of thousands of people Monday night. There's nobody here but you and me.''_

_Alexa huffed, realizing he was right. Randy smiled triumphantly when he saw he start taking her clothes off. He whistled when she revealed her lacy black bra and panties. She glared at him before walking around to the edge of the deep end of the pool. Turning around, she took a breath before doing a back flip into the water. She looked around for Randy after she surfaced, starting to panic when she couldn't find him. _

_Then, suddenly, Alexa was yanked down under the water. She struggled as she slowly opened my eyes to see a flash of blue go by her. She popped up, gasping for air, and quickly swam over to him. He swam away, laughing as she tried to catch up to him. She managed to and jumped onto his back, dunking his head into the water. After a small water fight, which Alexa won, they decided to go over and relax in the hot tub._

* * *

_"Jay, grab Orton's clothes and I'll get Lex's," Adam whispered to Jason as they slowly crept into the pool area. They had been searching for the pair for a while and the receptionist had sent them in this direction. It hadn't taken them long to come up with this master plan._

_Chris nodded and quietly snuck over to where Randy had dumped his clothing as Jason grabbed Alexa's. They ran back out the door with their arms full, just as Alexa and Randy climbed out of the hot tub._

_"Dude, they're so gonna kill us!" Jason said with a snicker._

_"This is going to go down in the history of pranks for us!" Adam laughed as they shared a high-five._

* * *

_"Randy, where are our clothes?" Alexa asked him as they climbed out of the hot tub._

_"What do you mean? They were on the ground." Randy replied as he looked around for them._

_Her eyes darted around before she put her hands on her hips, tilting her head as she glared at him. "They're not here. What the hell did you do with them!" _

_"What makes you think I did something with them? I haven't left your side the whole time!" _

_"Well, then where the hell did they go!" She shrieked back._

_"Jason and Chris." Randy muttered. She looked at him curiously as he grabbed her hand and started to tug her away. "Come on. The kings of practical jokes stole our clothes."_

_Alexa dug her heels in and pulled him to a halt. ''I'm not walking out there like this.'' _

_''Um...'' Randy trailed off as his icy gaze raked over her body, tongue darting out to wet his lips. _

_She fought off a blush as she watched him blatantly check her out. ''Hey!'' His eyes snapped up to meet hers quickly. ''Eyes up here, buddy!"_

_He just smirked at her before he ran over to one of the benches, picking up a towel that someone had obviously forgotten. He re-joined her and held it out for her. ''Here, wrap this around yourself.''_

_She scrunched up her nose as she looked it over. ''It might be dirty.''_

_He rolled his eyes before lifting the towel to his face and sniffing it. ''It's fine.''_

_Alexa begrudgingly accepted it from him and wrapped it around her body. "How do you even know they have our clothes?" She asked as they headed towards the lobby, dripping a trail of water as they went._

_"They like to play pranks on everyone."_

* * *

_They eventually found the pair mooching around near the elevators in the lobby, matching innocent expressions on their faces. "Umm... I think you two forgot to get dressed," Jason told them seriously._

_"Yeah, clothes are welcomed here." Adam said with a smirk. "Actually, Lex, you can walk around like that any time, but Randal, put some damn clothes on!"_

_"Guys, give us back our clothes!" Randy demanded roughly._

_"Why would we have your clothes?" Adam asked._

_"Because, for some reason, you two have decided that you're the 'kings of pranks.' And this is just something you two would do to us!" He explained, scowling at the two blondes._

_"Guys, seriously, this is cruel. Look at me. I'm in a soaked bra and panties and have some stranger's sweaty towel wrapped around me.'' She told them with a slight shudder. ''Please give me my clothes." _

_Adam and Jason shared a look before the latter jogged over to the corner of the room. He ducked into the alcove underneath the steps before emerging empty-handed a few moments later. He returned to the group, guiltily looking at Randy and Alexa. ''We have a slight problem...''_

_Randy narrowed his eyes at them as Alexa seethed. ''What? Where are they?''_

_''We hid them under the steps over there.'' Jason responded, pointing to the stairs that lead up to the first floor. ''But I think a maid or someone must have moved them.'' _

_''Unbelievable.'' Randy muttered angrily._

_Alexa shot them a calculating look before holding out her hand expectantly. ''One of you give me your shirt.'' _

_''What about me?'' Randy groaned. _

_She rolled her eyes and took the towel off and shoved it in his arms before turning back to the other two. Randy wrapped the towel around his waist and smirked as he watched the men look her over, Jason with a lot more subtlety than Adam. ''Well?'' She sighed impatiently. ''Hurry up, I'm cold.'' _

_Adam huffed before quickly pulling his black v-neck t-shirt over his head. She snatched it from him and slipped it on. Luckily, Adam was a lot taller than her so the shirt reached the middle of her thigh. Happy that she was decently covered, she reached forward and delivered two sharp nipple twisters. Their smirks quickly disappeared, the pair taking on dramatically pained faces as Randy laughed. _

_''This isn't over.'' She warned them before she stalked off up the stairs._

* * *

_Later that night, Alexa snickered to herself as she quietly opened the door to Jason and Adam's hotel room. Making sure nobody was around, she slipped out quickly before closing the door. _

_''What do you think you're doing?''_

_Alexa jumped and spun around, letting out a small relieved sigh when she saw it was only Randy. ''Randy, you dick!"_

_He smirked. ''I know you love me really.''_

_''Are you always so...''_

_''Handome? Sexy? Lovable?'' He suggested with a smirk._

_''Arragont, egotistical and cocky were more what I was looking for.'' She shot back._

_''What can I say? It's a gift.'' _

_"If it's a gift, I'd like to take it back," she informed him, and Randy responded by flipping her off. "Not now, but thanks for the offer." _

_Alexa glanced over his shoulder and spotted Adam and Jason coming around the corner. She grabbed Randy's hand and sprinted down the hall, dragging him along with her. She quickly pushed open her door to her own room, yanked him inside and slammed it shut._

_''What were you doing in their room?'' Randy asked, not really sure he wanted to hear the answer._

_She just smirked at him. ''Payback's a bitch.''_

* * *

_''LEX!" _

_Randy, Chris, Paul and Dave's heads turned simultaneously towards the woman in question, who was sitting opposite them in the men's locker room. She just gave them a shit-eating grin before turning her gaze back to the television set in the corner. _

_''LEX!''_

_The door suddenly burst open and Jason and Adam came stumbling in. Alexa took one look at them and burst into peels of laughter along with her companions. Adam's hair was now a hot pink colour instead of its usual blonde and Jason's teeth were neon green. _

_''Nice, boys. Brings out your eyes.'' Randy told them after composing himself enough to speak._

_They glared at him. ''We both have matches tonight Lex, we can't go out there looking like this!'' Jason cried._

_Alexa stood up and walked over to them. ''Oh, I don't know.'' She cocked her head to the side and fingered a small strand of Adam' hair. ''I think it looks kinda hot.''_

_''Not. Funny.'' Adam growled._

_''Jason, there's some real toothpaste in your bag that will wash that off. Adam, there's some shampoo in yours that will get that right out.'' She told them, snorting when they both ran out of the room as fast as they could. _

_''You are evil.'' Chris told her with a shake of his head._

_She just grinned at him. ''Now they know not to mess with me again.'' She shared a high-five with Randy before plopping back down on the chair._

* * *

''Yeah, I am the prank queen.'' She declared with a proud grin.

''Do you remember when you put itching powder in Chris and Adam's pants?''

''Oh my God, yes!''

* * *

_Alexa let out an annoyed whine when she felt someone nudge her gently, not wanting to open her eyes just yet. Immediately after landing in Montreal following a ten-hour flight from England, everyone had piled into a bus ready to be taken to their hotel. She hadn't been able to sleep on the flight, much to her annoyance, but had fallen asleep immediately after taking her seat._

_"Wake up Lex. We're here." Randy told her softly, nudging her again._

_"Go away." She rolled away with a grumble, only to hit her head on the window. "Motherfucker!" _

_He snorted and stepped back as she slowly shuffled out of her seat, accepting his offered hand with a grateful smile. Looking around the bus, she saw it was empty save for her, Chris, Jason, Adam and Randy. _

_''What time is it?'' She asked as they stepped out of the bus, squinting when the sunlight hit her eyes._

_Adam glanced down at his watch before responding. ''11:30.''_

_''That's good, means we'll have the rest of the day to recover from the jet lag.'' Chris pointed out with a smile._

_She lifted her hand to stifle a yawn. ''I, for one, am planning on going into a sleep coma until we have to be at the arena tomorrow.''_

_After collecting their luggage and thanking the driver, the small group found themselves at the concierge desk, waiting in line to check-in. Leaning back and resting her head on Randy's chest, Alexa casually glanced around the lobby. Upon noticing she was getting several strange looks from people, her brows furrowed in confusion and she turned around. ''Randy, people keep staring at me...''_

_He waved off her concern. ''They probably just recognize you.''_

_''Yeah, I guess.''_

_After checking in and dumping their bags in the room they were sharing, Adam, Jason and Chris made their way back to Randy and Alexa's room to hang out. _

_Heaving her case up onto the bed, she unzipped it and dug around inside until she found what she was looking for. She pulled out her Beatles t-shirt and a pair of pyjama shorts before heading over to the bathroom. ''I'm just going to go get changed and freshen up.'' She closed the door behind her, cutting off their loud chatter, before she fumbled around for the light switch. _

_The room was soon bathed in light and her eyes widened in horror as she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror above the sink. Her loud scream was followed by roaring laughter from outside the door. _

_Someone had managed to draw devil horns on her forehead and a mustache on her face, she knew it was a bad idea to sleep on the bus. That wasn't the worst of it though. On her left cheek, there was a large drawing of the male genitalia._

_Taking a deep breath to control her rage, she marched out of the bathroom and glared at the four men. Seeing her so angry just made them laugh harder and she put her hands on her hips with a huff. _

_Randy held his hands up innocently. ''It wasn't me, I promise.''_

_''But you let them do it!" She hissed before turning to the three blondes. ''Well? Which one of you fuckers did this?''_

_''It was them!" Jason told her, pointing both fingers at the other two men._

_Adam and Chris shot him a glare before pointing accusing fingers at each other, making her roll her eyes in exasperation._

_''Fine. I'll just have to punish both of you, and trust me, it will be worse than this." She warned before storming out of the room._

_She headed down the hallway and came to a stop outside of the room she knew Trish was in, before knocking softly on the door. The door opened a few minutes later and the woman's eyebrows shot up as she let out a loud, hearty laugh. _

_''It's not funny, people actually saw me like this...'' She sighed. ''Do you have something I can use to get this off?" _

_Once Trish had finally pulled herself together and stopped laughing, they moved into her room and she told Alexa to wait in the bathroom. After disappearing inside the room for a few minutes, Trish returned with a bottle of make-up remover and some cotton wool. ''This should work, unless that's permanent marker, then you're screwed.''_

_Alexa quickly began to swipe at her face, smiling in relief when the pen started to come off. ''Oh, thank God!"_

_Trish smiled at her. ''I take it by the grin on your face, you have a plan to get them back?''_

_''Oh, yeah. I'll teach them jackasses not to mess with me.''_

* * *

_The following evening, Alexa found the food service area buzzing with people and smiled, offering friendly greetings to her co-workers and crew members as she made her way through the room. She was just reaching over to grab a bottle of water from the fridge when she felt a pair of hands grab her waist._

_"Hey, good-looking."_

_Turning her head, she smiled warmly at Randy as he leaned down to place a quick kiss on her cheek. "Hey yourself.''_

_She grabbed the water and followed behind Randy as he led her over to the corner of the room. As they reached the table, she grinned over at Trish and gave her a small thumbs-up, signalling that her plan was complete. The blonde shook her head with a chuckle before returning to her pasta. Randy looked between the two suspiciously but wisely kept his mouth shut as he took a seat next to Chris._

_They were soon joined by Travis 'Tyson' Tomko who had come by so they could go over their segment. Randy busied himself with his food, listening as the others went over their lines and discussed what bumps they were going to do. Travis left when they were finished and the rest of the group diverted their attention to the large screen in the room as Raw got under way. _

_Edge and Chris Benoit were up first, defending their Tag Team Championships against La Résistance, the champions making their way down to the ring to raucous cheers. _

_''Jesus Christ.'' Alexa let out a snort as Sylvain Grenier and Robert Conway made their way down to the ring waving two massive flags with the Fleurdelisé on, both wearing matching waistcoats. _

_Everyone was surprised when over half of the Montreal crowd started cheering for the challengers, nobody more so than the announce team._

_''Welcome to bizzaro world!" King cried in amusement._

_The match soon got started and the champions had the advantage for a while, the crowd surprisingly booing most of their offence until Robert managed to turn the tide. The crowd roared as soon as Sylvain tagged in, a 'Let's Go Sylvain!' chant hitting the arena._

_Half-way through match, Randy noticed that Chris kept shifting around in his seat. ''You alright, dude?'' He asked, glancing sideways at the man to find a confused look on his face. _

_''Yeah.'' Chris bit out._

_Alexa bit her lip to hold in her laughter and didn't need to look at Trish to know that she was doing the same. They watched as Chris grew more and more uncomfortable before he practically ran towards the bathroom. _

_Randy rose an eyebrow. ''Why do I have the feeling you have something to do with that?''_

_She just smirked and turned her attention to the monitor as a huge cheer sounded, finding that La Résistance had won. The camera panned down to Edge, who was laid out in the middle of the ring._

_Randy leaned forward, trying to get a closer look at the screen. ''Is he...''_

_''Oh my God!" Trish let out an unladylike snort and quickly covered her mouth._

_Alexa snickered as she watched. One of Adam's arms was holding his 'injured' head while the other was not-so-discretely scratching his ass._

_''What did you two do?''_

_Trish shook her head. ''Oh, no, I can't take the credit... This was all Lex.''_

_''Itching powder.'' She told him with a mischievous smile._

* * *

''That was hilarious. I think Adam had that rash all over his ass for a week!" Jason told her, snorting out a laugh.

''We did have some good times.''

''We did.'' He agreed, smiling fondly.

''So... are you going to win tonight?'' Alexa asked curiously, knowing that he was facing Randy that night for the World Heavyweight Championship.

''Now that would be telling.'' Jason replied, a shit-eating grin on his face.

''That's totally a yes.''

He just laughed. ''Make sure you watch the ending though, I'm sure you'll like what I get to do.''

* * *

After spending a little more time together, Jason led her backstage to the men's locker room, where he knew there would be a few people happy to see her. He pounded on the door loudly. ''Cover up what you don't want seen boys!" He warned before swinging the door open and dragging her in with him.

Alexa's eyes scanned the room, taking in the familiar faces; Mike Mizanin, Alberto 'Del Rio' Rodríguez, Oscar 'Rey Mysterio' Gutierrez, Bryan 'Daniel Bryan' Danielson and Luis Ignacio Urvie Alvirde AKA Sin Cara.

She grinned when her eyes landed on Luis, her first ever professional wrestling match had been against him. She had been down in Mexico for about a month and the CMLL had finally given her a chance and put her in a match against Luis, who had wrestled under 'Místico' at the time. He was the only one who would agree to work with her, although she had been made to wear a mask to disguise that she was a woman from the audience. After that match, a lot more people had been willing to have a match with her.

Alexa had also met Oscar and Alberto while she had been in Mexico. Oscar had started working the indies down there shortly after WCW closed down, before he had been signed by the WWE. Alberto had just started out and was working with AAA when she had met him. His father was a well-known wrestler in Mexico and she had stayed with them for a short time when she had first arrived in the country. Daniel, she had met after heading to Ring of Honor where he had been performing under his American Dragon monkier.

When Mike started out, a lot of the guys gave him a really hard time because of his background, and Alexa had discovered him changing in a hallway before a show because they wouldn't let him in the locker room. She had offered him the use of the women's locker room, since it was practically empty anyway, and they had been friends ever since.

Pouting when nobody even acknowledged her presence, all too engrossed in whatever they were doing, Alexa put her hands on her hips. ''I've been gone three years and not even a hug from any of you fuckers...''

Jason chuckled from beside her and the small group of men all stopped what they were doing and turned around, smiles breaking out on their faces when they saw her.

''Holy shit.''

''Lex!"

''What the fuck are you doing here?''

''You look amazing.''

Mike was the first to pull her into a tight embrace, quickly followed by the rest.

Alexa smiled warmly as they moved over to her. ''Hey, guys. Been a while, huh?''

The room was soon filled with loud, raucous voices and they spent a long time catching up before she insisted on leaving them so they could prepare for the show. With a promise to find them all at the party after the show, Alexa headed off to search for Phil.

Meandering her way through the arena, Alexa came across a few more of her former colleagues. She told them all she would see them tonight at the after party and they could catch up then, knowing she didn't have a lot of time left before the show and she had to find Phil.

As she turned yet another corner, she found herself hitting something solid. The impact knocked her to the floor and she landed with an audible oof. "Sorry!" She exclaimed, as she picked herself up off the ground.

''Lex?''

The woman looked up as she dusted off her jeans with her hands, her lips forming a nervous smile. ''John... hey.''

He let out a small chuckle. ''I'm getting some serious déjà vu here.''

* * *

_Alexa only managed to walk about four steps before realizing she had left her cell phone behind in her hotel room. She rolled her eyes and turned around to head back to her room when she smacked into something hard before feeling herself falling face-first to the ground._

_The next thing she knew she was sprawled on top of a robust body on the floor. She groaned and pushed against the muscular chest, shifting her upper body so she could see who the unlucky man was. She found a pair of blue eyes looking up at her in amusement. ''I have to say, this is actually the first time a girl has literally thrown herself at me.''_

_Her eyes widened as she immediately recognized her victim. "You're John Cena."_

_"Last time I checked, yeah."_

_"I'm so sorry." She mumbled apologetically._

_''It's alright, to be honest, this has been the highlight of my morning.'' He said as he grinned up at her. _

_Alexa snorted and moved from him, quickly standing and straightening out her t-shirt as he jumped to his feet beside her. She watched him as he looked her over before his eyes landed on her face and the realization dawned on him. "You're Sierra?"_

_''Or Alexa.'' She smirked, reaching out her hand to him. "Nice to meet you."_

_He waved off her hand with a smile. ''I think we're past the hand shaking stage.''_

* * *

''So, um, how are you?''

''I'm good.'' Alexa responded before they fell into an uncomfortable silence.

''Listen, Lex-''

''Look, John-''

Both let out nervous laughs and he ran a hand through his hair. ''Let me go first.'' At her nod, he continued. ''I'm sorry about everything that happened. I was a really shitty friend and I should have told you about Randy. If I had, then maybe you wouldn't have gotten hurt.''

''You _were_ a shitty friend to me.'' She nodded sadly as he lowered his head. ''But it had nothing to do with me getting injured. When it first happened, I was so angry and I needed someone to blame... and that happened to be Randy. I _was_ distracted that night, but it was just a freak accident.''

''But-''

Alexa quickly cut him off. ''Look, it's in the past... we need to move on.''

John nodded solemnly before his lips twitched into a small smile. ''Does that mean I get a hug?''

She rolled her eyes and opened her arms, grinning as he scooped her up in a massive hug.

''For what it's worth, I am so sorry.''

Alexa nodded against his shoulder. ''I know.'' She glanced at his shirt after they released each other, an amused smirk settling on her lips. ''So... what's with the shirt? You look like a Mario brother.''

* * *

Five minutes after being pointed in the right direction by John, Alexa found herself standing nervously outside Phil's dressing room. She hadn't spoken to him since their disastrous phone call two weeks ago and was worried that he would be angry with her. Letting out a heavy sigh, she reached up and knocked loudly on the door.

It swung open seconds later, instant surprise hitting Phil's face as his eyes found her.

'''Sup.''

He cocked an eyebrow, amusement shining in his eyes as she gave him an awkward wave. ''What the fuck are you doing here?''

Alexa barged past him, walking into the room. ''I came to see you.''

''You came all the way from Florida, just to see me?'' Phil asked as he closed the door behind her. ''Why?''

''I haven't seen you in months, I missed you.'' She shrugged, taking a seat on one of the benches and drawing her legs up to her chest. ''And I wanted to apologize for blowing up at you on the phone the other day.''

''It's fine.'' He told her softly, slipping into the seat opposite her. ''I get it...''

''So... have you signed the contract yet?''

''No, and I don't intend to. I'm so sick of it all... it's like the fucking Cena show around here. I like the guy, don't get me wrong, but there are so many other guys in the locker room who don't get opportunities because they're constantly being overlooked in favour of people like John. Nobody can see that they're wasting talent, it's fucking ridiculous. You were right, I do just want to wrestle... but I can't do that here if they keep leaving me off the card. I'll be better off at Ring of Honor, at least I know they'd appreciate me.''

''The _fans _appreciate you.''

He looked over and met her eyes, sighing deeply. ''It's not enough anymore. I can't carry on like this, knowing that nothing's ever going to change...''

''Listen to me, okay, just listen... You're not happy, you're pissed, I get it. Believe me, I understand.'' Alexa said passionately, thinking back to what Jon said to her all those weeks ago. ''I'm not going to beg you to stay, or try to guilt trip you into it. All I'm going to say is this; you want to change things and that's great... but how are you ever going to do that if you're sat at home on your couch?''

After imparting her words of wisdom to Phil, she had left him alone with his thoughts and headed to catering to watch the rest of the show. A couple of people had stopped by the table she was sitting at to say hello, but she had been left alone for the most part.

The match between Christian and Randy Orton had just finished, leaving her sitting with a smirk on her face. Jason had been had been right in saying she would enjoy the ending; he got to spit a giant loogie in Randy's face.

''He signed.''

Alexa turned her head to find Stephanie McMahon strolling towards her, a happy smile on her face. ''Seriously?'' Her eyebrows rose in genuine surprise, she had really thought he was going to leave.

Stephanie nodded and lowered herself into the seat beside her. ''Believe me, I was as shocked as you are. Paul said you were going to talk to him, what did you say?''

''I didn't say anything, not really...''

''Well, whatever you said it must have helped.'' The older woman smiled. ''There were a few conditions, but he said that at the end of the day all he wanted to do was wrestle in front of those fans.''

Alexa smiled knowingly before giving the woman a questioning look. ''So, does that mean he's going to win?''

''You'll just have to watch, won't you.''

* * *

Phil had won.

The pop he had received as he entered the arena was bigger than anything she had ever heard. Being in Phil's home state, the crowd had been 100% behind him from the start. It was an amazing match, probably one of the best Alexa had seen from both men.

After the show, she had made her way back to her hotel, which, coincidentally also happened to be where most of the talent was staying. She changed into something suitable before making her way down to the hotel bar, where the 'party' was taking place.

She had spent the rest of the night catching up with her friends and making a few new ones. She had been formally introduced to The Bella Twins; Brianna and Nicole Garcia-Colace. Despite the preconceptions she had about them, she found herself really enjoying their company. Especially Nikki's, they were so alike and the woman was so blunt it was hilarious.

The night had been going well. Too well.

Alexa had just been to the ladies room and was making her way back into the main bar when a body suddenly blocked her path. Rolling her eyes, she looked up and froze when she found her ex-boyfriend standing there. She could feel her mouth go dry as she tried to form words. ''Excuse me.''

When he didn't move, she let out an annoyed sigh and tried to step around him, only for him to move in front of her.

''I heard you were here, couldn't quite believe it...''

Her eyes narrowed at Randy's slurred words, knowing exactly what he could be like when he was under the influence. ''Well, now you can believe it. Can you move, please?''

''No. Come with me, I want to talk to you.''

Before she could protest, he had grabbed hold of her hand and had pulled her over to a secluded corner of the room. ''Randy, what the fuck? Let go!"

He towered over her and she found herself backed up against the wall as she tried to move away from him. ''I miss you.''

She couldn't help but scoff at the declaration. ''Please, spare me.''

''I mean it...'' He said adamantly. ''Me and Sam, we're not right for each other. Not the way me and you are... My room's upstairs...''

''You're drunk, Randy.'' As she made to push past him, he reached out and tightly grabbed her arms, pulling her back towards him. ''Get the fuck off me!"

Hissing at her to calm down, he shoved her back and she hit the wall with a thud. She struggled against his grip, her heart hammering in her chest when she felt his fingers dig painfully into her arms.

Randy leaned down and whispered into her ear. "I know you still love me."

Funnily enough, it was that precise moment that she finally realized she _didn't_. She opened her mouth to reply but he was violently jerked away from her.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Randy turned to sneer at Phil.

"Nothing that concerns you, now fuck off.''

Phil let out a humourless laugh as he glared at the other man. ''It concerns me when you put your hands on her.''

Randy turned around to face him, an angry look twisting on his face. "Why? Everybody knows you have a thing for her... you jealous that I've fucked her and you haven't?''

Phil took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring angrily before he swung.

Randy was stunned as he went staggering back from the impact of the blow. His hand reached up to touch his jaw briefly before he lunged towards Phil.

It turned into a brawl as both men fell to the floor, scrambling around as they continually punched at each other

''Stop it!" Alexa shrieked, darting forward to desperately grab one of Randy's arms to stop him hurting her friend.

Unfortunately for her, she was standing too close and when Randy pulled back to hit him again he caught Alexa's face with his elbow. She stumbled back from the force of the blow and landed on the floor with a bump.

Randy stopped what he was doing immediately and turned around. A guilty expression came onto his face once he'd realized what he'd done.

''What the fuck is going on here?!" John boomed as he approached.

Phil's hair was dishevelled and the sleeve of his shirt had been ripped and Randy had a bloody lip. John's expression turned from angry to concerned when his gaze landed on Alexa. She was huddled in the corner, her hand clutching at her face as tears streamed down her cheeks.

''Randy. He tried - ''

John's jaw clenched as he glared at the man in question, silently wondering what the hell had happened to his old friend. Shaking his head, he moved over to Alexa and helped her to her feet. ''Let's get out of here.''

Phil had already stood and moved over to them, wrapping a comforting arm around her as they started to head towards the exit. They halted, however, when Alexa noticed John had left her side and was storming back towards Randy.

"John, don't, please."

Her words fell on deaf ears as John grabbed the other man by the shirt and had him slammed up against the wall. ''Now, you listen to me and you listen good. I don't know what the fuck is going on in that head of yours, and I don't fucking care. If you ever so much as _look_ at her wrong again, I will end you... Got it?"

Randy stared at him stubbornly for a few seconds before eventually nodding, seeming to understand that the other man was deadly serious.

John nodded before releasing him and making his way back over to Phil and Alexa. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, gracing him with a small smile. ''Thank you... both of you.''

''Come on, let's go and find you some ice for that eye.''


	8. Chapter 8

**Wednesday 19th July**

''Hey Darren, do you know when Lex is coming back from Chicago?''

The man paused his walk through the gym and turned to face the row of treadmills, where April was just finishing a run. ''I believe she's already back, but she's feeling under the weather so won't be back here for a few days.''

Jon's brows furrowed as he listened to the Englishman's reply before he turned to look down at Colby, who he was spotting for. ''Don't you think that's a little strange?''

''What?'' Colby asked, his face red as he strained.

''That Lex just happens to be sick at the same time Orton gets a hefty fine, and suspended for improper conduct.''

He lifted the weight back up onto the bracket and let out a sigh. ''I think you're reading too much into it, dude.''

Their musings were cut short as Darren wandered over to them, a small smile on his face. ''Good afternoon boys, you all set for your match Thursday?''

They both nodded and Colby grinned. ''It's going to be awesome.''

The older man chuckled before glancing at Jon, noticing the trouble expression on his face. ''What's the matter?''

''I was just wondering what was wrong with Lex?''

Darren's face instantly grew dark and a hint of anger appeared in his eyes, before it was quickly covered up with a forced smile. ''All I know is that she's not feeling well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things I have to do.''

Colby and Jon both watched as he quickly walked away before turning to each other with suspicious looks.

''Still think I'm reading too much into it?''

Colby frowned and glanced up. ''Hey, April?''

She made her way over to them, a confused look on her face. ''What's up?''

''You were at Raw last night weren't you?''

''Yeah...''

''Did you happen to hear anything about Orton getting suspended?''

''Yeah, we know how you women like to gossip.'' Jon added with a smirk.

April scowled up at him. ''Not all women like to gossip, Jon.''

''So, you _don't _know anything?'' Colby clarified.

''I didn't say that.'' She gave them a sheepish look. ''I heard some people talking in catering, and apparently Randy and Punk got into a huge fight at the party after the pay-per-view.''

* * *

Alexa had spent the past three days hiding out at her house, fully intending to stay there until her face had healed. She had a hideous purple bruise under her eye and practically the entire left side of her face was swollen.

After arriving home on Monday morning, she had called Darren to tell him she would be taking some time off, explaining everything to him. After calming him down and insisting she was alright, he agreed to keep quiet and just tell people she was sick if they asked.

Immediately after escorting Alexa to her room and making sure she was okay, John and Phil had gone to see Vince to explain to him what had happened. He had been furious and, after a quick call to Alexa to corroborate their story, gave Randy a month-long suspension as well as a hefty fine.

Word had quickly gotten around about the scuffle between the two men, along with the news of Randy's punishment. Unfortunately for Alexa, this meant she had been inundated with messages from people who had been at the party and wanted to know what had happened.

Eventually she had just switched her phone off and hoped people would take the hint.

Wednesday evening found her clad in an old, oversized Hardy Boyz t-shirt and a pair of boy shorts, curled up on her sofa with her duvet while she watched The Little Mermaid. Despite being almost twenty-six, she was a huge fan of Disney movies and they never failed to cheer her up when she was feeling down.

_KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK._

Alexa unwrapped herself from the duvet and dragged herself over up, shuffling along the floor in her fluffy socks to answer the door. Her eyes widened when she found Jon and Colby standing there, fully expecting it to be Darren to come and check up on her.

''Uh, hey...'' She chewed on her lip worriedly.

Both of their smiles vanished as soon as their eyes landed on her; a concerned look appearing on Colby's face while Jon's expression turned dark.

"Who did that to you?" Jon asked lowly.

"It was nothing, just an accident.'' She told him softly.

Colby's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of something, and he moved forward to lift the sleeves of her shirt; revealing the bruises on her upper arms. ''Lex, these are finger marks...''

Alexa let out a sigh before spinning on her heel and headed back inside, leaving the door open for them to follow. She padded back into the living room and resumed her earlier position, cocooned in her duvet.

''Comfy?'' Colby asked with a smirk.

''Very.''

''What the fuck are you watching?'' Jon asked as he took up the space beside her, with Colby sitting down in the chair next to them.

''Little Mermaid.'' She shrugged, her eyes not leaving the screen. ''I wish I was a mermaid; no periods and I'd never have to wear pants again...''

Jon shook his head in amusement before fixing her with a serious look. ''Are you going to tell us what happened?'' He leaned over, snatched the remote from her hand and switched the television off.

She groaned and turned, her eyes flicking between the two. "It's not a big deal, can we just drop it?"

''If it's not a big deal, then why won't you just tell us.'' Colby questioned, raising an eyebrow.

''Fine.'' She huffed. ''Phil and Randy got into a fight, I tried to pull Randy off and his elbow caught me in the face... it was just an accident.''

''What about the bruises on your arms?''

"Uh, yeah, that wasn't an accident... Randy cornered me." She admitted, avoiding eye-contact with them. "He was drunk and… um, he didn't want to take 'no' for an answer... that's why they were fighting in the first place."

''Motherfucker...'' Jon's eyes darkened, his face contorting angrily. ''Please tell me Punk kicked his ass?''

''He did.'' She confirmed, smiling at the memory. ''I don't think I've ever seen him so pissed. As soon as Vince found out what happened, Randy got fined and suspended.''

''Punk didn't get in trouble?''

''No. Vince _was_ going to fine him because he was the instigator, but he changed his mind when I threatened to get the police involved.''

Colby shook his head, letting out a small chuckle. ''Only _you _would threaten Vince McMahon.''

''Well it worked, plus, he said he admired my cojones.'' She told them, her lips curling into a grin. ''No offence, but why are you two even here?''

''We were worried.'' Jon stated simply, meeting her eyes with a small smile.

''We did try calling you.'' Colby pointed out.

''Oh, shit!" She exclaimed, quickly untangling herself from the duvet and dashing into the kitchen where she had left her phone. After grabbing it from the worktop, she made her way back into the living room and launched herself onto the sofa. ''I was meant to give Chris a call hours ago, he wanted to know if I could babysit the twins tomorrow.''

''People actually trust you to look after children?'' Colby teased.

Alexa looked up from her phone with a playful scowl. ''Hey, fuck you, I'm great with kids.''

Both men let out scoffs and Jon raised an eyebrow at her. ''Chris told us that you stuck his one year old son to a wall using duct tape, and then sent him a photo of it.''

''And how you taught his daughters to say 'mommy steals credit cards' when they're in a line at the checkout.'' Colby added.

Alexa let out a loud snort at that, remembering the angry phone call she had received from Jessica after a trip to Walmart. ''And yet, they keep asking me to look after them. I must be doing something right...'' She trailed off as she scrolled down through her text messages and typed out a couple of replies.

_**Still looking after the brats tomorrow, biatch? - Chris.**_

_Of course, looking forward to it!_

_**Hey, hope you're all good after the other night. I have a week off if you want to come back to Chi-town for a visit? Colt wants to see you too, he told me to ask if you'll do a podcast with him? - Phil.**_

_I'll have to see if I can fit you in to my busy schedule... Tell Colt I'll do the podcast in exchange for a lapdance ;)_

''I need to get going, Leighla's waiting for me.'' Colby told them as he rose from the chair. ''You coming?''

''Nah, I'll stay and keep Lex company.'' He glanced over at her, a hopeful look on on face. ''If you want me to, that is?''

Alexa felt butterflies begin to surface in her stomach at the thought of being alone with Jon but she just shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. ''Sure.''

Colby smirked and headed towards the door. ''Have fun kids, don't do anything I wouldn't do.''

''Dick.'' Jon muttered.

The front door clicked closed and after a few moments of awkward silence, she turned to face him, forcing out a smile. ''You want a drink?''

* * *

"How the fuck did this happen? I'm drunk."

Jon gazed over at her with a smirk. ''Well, what I _think_ happened was you had a drink, and then you had another one, then another one...''

''This is all your fault.'' Alexa pouted at him. ''You're a bad influence.''

''I think _you're _the bad influence here, sweetheart.''

Unable to think of a reply, she just stuck her tongue out at him before heading into the kitchen to grab them both another beer. ''We should play a game.'' She suggested, flopping back down onto the sofa, swinging her legs up to rest on Jon's lap.

He eyed her bare legs appreciatively before cocking an eyebrow at her. ''Oh, yeah? What kind of game?''

''Not that kind of game, perv.'' She rolled her eyes. ''Like, twenty questions or something, so we can get to know each other better.''

''Fine... but I want to go first.''

''Most guys do.'' She quipped, earning a smirk from her companion.

''Okay, what did you think of me when you first saw me?''

Alexa took a long swig of her beer before replying impassively. ''I thought you were pretty cute.''

A smug grin appeared on his face as he thought of another question. ''Any secret talents?''

''Not really.'' She pondered. ''But I can fit thirty-two marshmallows in my mouth, if that counts.''

''That _is _pretty impressive.'' He conceded with a laugh, before his face turned serious. ''Uh... you and Punk...''

''Me and Punk, what?''

''Are you guys a thing?'' Jon asked, avoiding her gaze as he raised the bottle to his lips.

An incredulous splutter burst from her lips. ''Fuck no! Ewww, he's like a brother.''

He visibly relaxed, taking another gulp of his drink. ''Okay, if you could get a tattoo, what would you get and where?''

''What makes you think I don't already have any?''

''You just don't seem the type.'' He shrugs.

Alexa raised an eyebrow and planted her bottle down on the table before turning around. She reached back and swept her hair up, revealing the small Egyptian ankh that was inked at the base of her neck, below the scar from her neck surgery. She had to suppress the shiver than ran down her spine as he reached up and brushed a finger over it.

''Cute... I thought your scar would be bigger.'' Jon told her softly, his finger still lingering on her neck.

She let out a breathy laugh. ''Yeah, it is pretty disappointing, all things considered...''

''Still badass though, shows how tough you are... you got any more?''

''Scars?''

''Yeah.''

''Maybe... I'll show you mine if you show me yours.'' Alexa offered, wagging her eyebrows as she turned to face him.

Jon laughed, shifting his position on the sofa before pulling his shirt off, revealing his back to her. There were several scars scattered all over, but there was a particularly nasty looking one running down from the top of his back to just under his shoulder-blade.

''The big one I got in a 'Barbwire Death Match' in Germany, back around 2009.'' He told her, feeling her finger run down the length of it. ''We ended up so tangled in the barbed wire that it was in my hair, in my face and my arm was wrapped up in it - it took two or three guys with wire-cutters about ten minutes to get me out. I like the scar, though. It looks cool.''

''Must have hurt like a bitch.''

''It caused some nerve damage so I didn't actually feel that much.'' He said as he slipped his shirt back on. He showed her some of his other scars from his CZW days, explaining how each one came about before he told her it was her turn.

Alexa languidly stretched her right leg out across his lap, reaching down to yank off her sock. Jon leaned down to get a closer look at the light scar that twisted its way around her ankle and all the way up to her knee.

''When the fuck did you do a barbed wire match?'' He asked, a shocked look on his face.

''2006. ECW, One Night Stand. I was in a match with Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer against Foley, Edge and Lita.''

''You got a copy of it?''

''You want to watch it now?'' She shot him a puzzled look after he nodded. ''Why?''

''Why not?''

After spending a few minutes trying to find the DVD while Jon got them more drinks from the kitchen, she slid the disc into the machine and pressed play before they took up their previous positions on the sofa.

''Do I look like a foot rest, woman?'' He asked, glancing down at her legs which were slung across his lap.

''Yes.''

He rolled his eyes as she aimed the remote at the screen, skipping through a good portion of the pay-per-view before stopping and pressing play. ''How did this match even come about? You weren't in ECW were you?''

''No, but that would've been totally awesome. I loved ECW.'' She gushed as they watched the promo the preceded the match. ''Belulah, Tommy's wife was supposed to be the third person for their team but she couldn't do it for some reason. So, since I was feuding with Lita at the time they had me do it instead.''

''And Vince was okay with you doing all the hardcore stuff?''

''He didn't exactly know what we planned on doing. We were all pissed off because we'd heard Vince had been saying that the match was going to be the shits, so we were determined to prove him wrong. I, somehow, managed to convince the guys to let me get involved with the cool stuff.''

* * *

_''All right, all right, I did sell out... I sold out Madison Square Garden! All right, I know I said a lot of bad stuff about ECW and... I'm sorry. Because, there was a time when I loved ECW, when I respected ECW... back in the days when it was run by a visionary! Back in the days when it was owned by a true creative genius! Let's hear it, for Stephanie McMahon. Long live the Alliance! But, enough about me, I know who you guys paid to see... he is the co-holder of the Hardcore title, escorted to the ring by Lita, say hello to Edge!"_

_The pair made the short journey down to the ring, and after climbing inside, Edge grabbed the microphone from Mick. _

_''Listen, listen, listen... you don't want to mess with these idiots! You don't want to mess with the ECW fans because this is their night... this is like their Christmas... only their Santa Claus is Jewish, fat, bald... and he gives out an endless supply of bullshit! You know what, all of you idiots are going to go home and you're going to text your imaginary girlfriends about how good the show was. Then, after that, you're going to hop on the internet... and you're going to pleasure yourselves looking at pictures of my actual girlfriend! You're all pathetic!"_

_After sharing a rather graphic kiss, Lita took the microphone as the crowd started to chant; YOU'RE A CRACK WHORE._

_''Speaking of pathetic, beside all of you people, let's talk about Terry Funk... and Tommy Dreamer; the innovator of silence! No, you know what, those two guys actually think they have a chance at beating you two! I mean, think about it, even I beat Tommy Dreamer. And when I sat on Tommy's face, I can guarantee that was more action in one night than all of you had in the entire year!''_

_This earned her another impassioned chant from the ECW audience; SHUT THE FUCK UP! _

_Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer made their way down to the ring, accompanied by Belulah. After climbing inside, the three stood opposite their opponents and Belulah grabbed a microphone._

_''Lita, Lita, Lita... I never thought I'd see the day, that the trash that comes out of your mouth is more disgusting than what you usually put in it! We all know how much you like threesomes, so why don't we make it official? Let's make it three on three!'' _

_The crowd cheered in approval as Lita stepped towards the older woman challengingly._

_''Oh no, no, not me... see, I happen to know someone who's eager to get their hands on you.. So, as an honorary member of ECW for tonight... Sierra!"_

_The crowd let out an ear-splitting cheer as 'Headstrong' by Trapt blasted from the speakers Sierra sauntered down the ramp._

* * *

''God, I look so young!" Alexa sighed wistfully as she watched her younger-self on the screen.

'Sierra' was dressed in a pair of cut-off denim shorts which complimented her gentle curves and long legs. She had teamed that with a form-fitting ECW tee and a pair of high-top Converse. Her dark hair hung in loose waves just below her shoulder blades and her make-up was simple; light red lipstick and some mascara to emphasize her eyes.

''Honestly, you still look pretty much the same... except I think you're probably in better shape now.''

''Are you saying I was fat before?'' She teased.

''No!" He quickly assured, eyes glued to the screen.

They continued to watch the match in relative silence, one of them occasionally breaking it with an odd comment or observation.

Alexa, however, was finding it extremely hard to concentrate on the television. One of Jon's hands had come up to rest on her leg; making her stomach pleasantly flip-flop as he traced delicate patterns on her skin.

* * *

_Edge yanked Tommy out of the ring and the two men traded blows until the Canadian gained the upper hand. He hoisted Tommy up before unceremoniously dropping him groin-first on top the barricade. He grinned at his handiwork before sliding into the ring and rushing to the aid of his partner._

_Sierra climbed into the ring just as Edge yanked Terry away from his ferocious attacks on Mick, ready to intervene and help her partner. She came to an abrupt halt as she watched Terry deal with the blonde by himself, sending the man down to the canvas after a fist to the face. She watched on as Terry aimed a kick to the younger man's ribs, unaware that behind them, Mick was untangling himself from the wire. The pair turned around and she quickly shoved Terry out of the way, noticing Mick about to throw the slab of barbed wire towards them._

_This left her no time to get herself out of it's trajectory._

_She went tumbling backwards as it hit her, slamming down on the mat with a thud as the metal-covered panel landed on top of her._

_THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME!_

_Mick called out something to Lita and the woman hopped off the apron, ducking down to grab something from under the ring. She passed a coiled section of wire up to Mick and he started to wrap it around his hand as Edge climbed back into the ring. Moving over to where Sierra lay under the wooden slab, he grabbed the edge and pulled; eliciting pained wails from the woman as the wire was dragged through her skin. _

_Terry appeared and Edge released his grip, turning his attention to the older man. The board fell to the mat beside Sierra, who was desperately trying to free her leg which was still caught up in the wire. While the referee crouched down to help her, Mick and Edge launched a violent attack on Terry; the barbed wire around Mick's hand turning his face into a crimson mask. Several medics rushed out and carted Terry away as he screamed in pain._

_Sierra had shuffled over to the corner and slumped against it; her ankle was a bloody mess, she had a few gashes over her body and there was a deep cut just above her ear that was bleeding freely. _

_The two men were about to focus their attention on her when Tommy slid into the ring, only to be hit with a trashcan lid which Edge had procured. Lita passed Mick a barbed wire covered bat, which he then slammed down onto Tommy's back. Sierra watched on helplessly as Mick placed the bat on her partner's groin and Lita entered the ring. The two men each held a leg as the redhead jumped up and dropped her legs on top of the bat._

_Sierra used to ropes to pull herself to her feet and hobbled towards Edge, delivering a hard slap to his face. Then, out of nowhere, Mick stepped in front of her wielding Mr Socko and slapped the Mandible Claw on her._

_Tommy charged at them and broke it up, only to be attacked from behind by Edge. Sierra crawled back into the corner as he was dragged into the middle of the ring by Mick and Lita as the blonde moved over into the corner. They held him up and Edge ran towards them, hitting Tommy with a spear. Mick suggested that they cover him for the win, but Edge shook his head and grinned before sauntering over to Sierra._

_The woman looked up at him apprehensively as he approached the corner, a sick smirk adorning his face. He reached down and grabbed her hair, pulling her face into his crotch as he thrust. The crowd booed as he pulled her into the middle of the ring and got her in the position for a pump-handle slam. Lita stood in front of her, taunting, while Edge made suggestive movements behind her._

_There was a huge ovation as Terry made his way back to the ring through the crowd waving a barbed wire bat in the air. Edge dumped Sierra on the mat before turning to face the direction Terry was coming from. Taking advantage of the distraction, Tommy hit both men with low blows which kept them down long enough for Terry to re-enter the ring. Sierra chased Lita away as he unloaded with shots to the abdomen and back of Mick with the bat and then a couple of hard shots to Edge right after. _

_Terry moved over towards Sierra and handed her a lighter. A massive roar echoed through the crowd as she lit the barbed wire bat and a huge flame engulfed it._

_He swung it towards Mick, hitting the man across the stomach as the crowd roared in delight. He hit him again, this time across the back, making his shirt start to set alight. He ducked through the ropes and a final hit with the bat from Terry sent him flying off the apron, and right onto the barbed wire board. _

_ECW! ECW! ECW!_

_The crowd was raucous Edge suddenly moved up behind Terry and shoved him off the apron, the man landing right on top of Mick on the barbed wire. _

_As Edge turned around, he was hit with a powerful DDT from Tommy, who then grabbed the coiled wire and looped it around the blonde's neck, choking him out. Lita ran in and broke up the submission after a few moments; she was rewarded with a vicious clothesline by Sierra._

_The redhead fought back with some hard punches but was pulled off the other woman by Tommy, who then nailed her with the Dreamer Driver, much to the crowds approval. _

_Sierra stood and joined Tommy in the middle of the ring, grinning as she raised her partner's hand. As they posed, Edge moved up behind them and wrapped the wire around Tommy's head before planting him back first onto the canvas. Sierra moved over to check on him but was hit with a powerful spear from Edge._

_With a twisted grin, he grabbed Sierra's legs and spread them before lowering himself on top of her for the pin._

_1-2-3!_

* * *

Jon turned away from the screen, his impressed gaze shifting to the woman beside him. Just when he thought he had her all figured out, she did something to surprise him. He knew she was a great wrestler, but watching her in that match had really blown him away; the girl could take a bump like nobody's business. Not many women would be able, let alone _willing_, to do some of the things she had done.

''What?'' Alexa questioned, starting to fidget nervously under his intense gaze.

''Nothing...'' His cloudy blue eyes flicked up to meet her violet orbs and his lips curved into a soft smile. Even with half of her face bruised and swollen, she was still one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen.

''Fuck it.'' Jon muttered.

Before she could ask what he meant, he leaned forward and his lips came crashing down on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a sigh as his hand weaved into her hair, his fingers massaging her scalp. The sigh invited his tongue into her mouth, and he kissed her feverishly until they had to break apart for air. They sucked in a few frantic breaths before their lips crashed together again, eliciting a moan from the back of her throat. He smirked against her lips, his free hand raising to cup her cheek. Alexa flinched back sharply, letting out a hiss of pain as he made contact with her bruised face.

''Shit, sorry.'' He rasped, pulling back from her.

''Jon-'' Alexa begins, but he cut her off before she could continue.

Jon shook his head, swallowing thickly as he took in her flushed cheeks and kiss-swollen lips. ''You have _no _idea how long I've wanted to do that...''

''Uh...'' Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to think of something to say to him, her mind drawing a blank.

"Don't say anything." He said, pressing his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes. ''I'm sorry if I've fucked everything up...''

Alexa opened her mouth to reassure him but he lightly pressed his lips against hers before suddenly moving away from her. She remained rooted to her seat, watching as he grabbed his jacket from the back of the couch before he hastily left, the door closing with a soft click behind him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Friday 22nd July**

Alexa couldn't keep the grin off her face as the cab drew nearer and nearer to its destination. She had cleared some time off with the office, deciding to take Phil up on his offer of an extended visit and was headed to his place in Chicago. She was hoping the time away would help her get her head around the whole 'Jon' situation.

After spending the previous day looking after the twins, she had attended the FCW tapings in the evening and he had avoided her the entire time, much to her annoyance. She had tried to corner him after the show but he had somehow managed to sneak out before she could find him. Several unanswered phone calls later, she finally gave up.

She wasn't entirely sure what she had been planning to say to him anyway, the kiss had confused the hell out of her. Even though she had tried to deny it, she _knew_ she had feelings for him. That much was obvious. But she really didn't want a relationship right now and, more importantly, she didn't want to lose him as a friend.

The driver announced their arrival and she smiled, practically throwing some money at him before grabbing her bag and making her way over to the intercom. She rang the buzzer, keeping her finger pressed on the button until the familiar voice came through the speaker.

"What?"

"Let me in, you grumpy fucker." Alexa retorted with a laugh.

''Bitch.'' He replied.

After being buzzed in, she made her way up the stairs and was greeted by a beaming Phil standing in the doorway with his arms outstretched. She dropped her bag before stepping into his arms, enthusiastically hugging her old friend.

They broke apart after a few moments and he looked her over. ''Your face is looking better.'' He observed as he picked up her bag and beckoned her inside.

''Wish I could say the same about yours.'' She shot back with a smirk.

''Ha ha.'' He replied drolly.

''Dollface!"

Alexa spun around, finding Scott 'Colt Cabana' Colton bounding through the door that she had left open. He drew her into a bone-crushing hug, lifting her clean off the floor as she squealed. ''Scotty!"

She had known the two Chicagoans for almost ten years, meeting them shortly after arriving back in the US from Mexico in 2002. She was only seventeen and had just signed to Ring of Honor; both men had taken her under their wing and they soon became inseparable.

"Did you lose weight?" He questioned as he set her back down.

She rolled her eyes. ''I've already agreed to do the podcast, there's no need to try to butter me up.''

''I wasn't... Besides, I meant it in more of a 'you look like you need a good square meal' way.''

Her mouth dropped open and she let out a little laugh of disbelief. "I only lost a couple of pounds, you shit.''

''You_ did _get a bit chubby after your injury.'' Phil added, stepping back slightly as the younger woman rounded on him.

''You cheeky fucker!'' She cried indignantly, placing her hands on her hips.

Scott watched on as the pair started bickering, an amused smile on his face. ''Ah, just like old times.''

* * *

_**Bitch, where are you?!**_

Alexa glanced down at Colby's message on the screen of her phone, suddenly feeling bad for not telling anybody where she was going.

_Charming, as always, Lopez... I'm in Chicago._

_**What are you doing there?**_

_Used some vacation time to visit some friends._

_**You suck. **_

''Who are you texting?'' Phil asked, glancing over at her from the end of the sofa.

''My crack dealer.'' She replied without looking up from her phone.

Colt snorted while the other man rolled his eyes. They had spent some time catching up before deciding to grab some pizza and spend the day curled up watching movies.

_So, are you guys at the bar?_

_**You know us so well... **_

_You're all a bunch of alcoholics, it wasn't that hard to figure out._

_**Hey! Not all of us, I'm completely sober tonight.**_

_Designated driver?_

_**Yeah. Jon's totally wasted though, should be fun trying to drag him home. **_

Alexa bit her lip, wanting to ask if Jon had mentioned anything about what happened to Colby, but not wanting it to seem to obvious. He sent her another message before she had the chance.

_**Problem solved, he's just picked up some girl, I guess he's going home with her.**_

Her heart dropped and she let out a sigh, switching the phone off and dropping it down on the coffee table.

''What's wrong?''

Her eyes flickered across to Scott's and she shook her head, forcing out a smile. ''Nothing important.''

''You want a drink?'' Phil asked. ''There's some Red Bull in the fridge, I know it's your favourite.''

Her eyes narrowed. ''Sugar free?''

''Of course.''

Lips curling into a smile, she made her way over to the kitchen and pulled open the fridge door. ''What the fuck...'' She swung the door closed before opening it again a few seconds later. ''Phil!"

The man in question joined her in the kitchen and a loud laugh escaped his lips when he realized what she was staring at. He reached past her, into the fridge, and pulled out the WWE Championship belt, hoisting it over his shoulder.

Alexa grabbed a can from the top shelf. ''I'm not even going to ask.''

"What? It looks nice next to my Pepsi..." He told her, a shit-eating grin on his face as he placed the title back into the fridge. ''Did you not see the photo I tweeted?''

''I haven't got Twitter, moron.''

Punk shook his head as he followed her out into the living area, the pair slipping back into their seats. ''You should get it.''

''Why? So I can see more pictures of your bedazzled fridge?'' She cocked an eyebrow.

Colt snorted and held his phone up. ''He's right, you should. That photo of the three of us has a shit load of comments asking why you're not on Twitter.''

Alexa squinted over, finding the highly unflattering selfie the three of them had taken a few hours before along with a caption; _ ColtCabana: the three amigos back together again! CMPunk &amp; Sierra!_

''Urgh! I can't believe people are actually seeing that, I look like a tramp.''

"Give yourself a bit of credit, you only look a _little _trampy."

''You would know.'' She fired back at Phil before reaching over and picking up her phone. ''You know what, I _will _get a Twitter. It just means I have another way to annoy you.''

''Bring it.''

* * *

_Sierra_

_ RealSierra_

_I don't charge by the hour, I charge by the awesome. Which makes me expensive, but also - and this is critical - awesome._

_Tampa, Florida_

_** RealSierra: Shit, I'm on Twitter you guys!**_

''You're such an idiot.'' Phil scoffed as he read her mini-profile. ''Also, not sure if you should be swearing...''

_ mikethemiz: RealSierra you'll never be as awesome as me... get your own catchphrase!_

_ IAmJericho: Uh oh, RealSierra is on Twitter, this can't be a good thing._

_ ColtCabana: Hey guys, my sister from another mister RealSierra has just joined Twitter, be nice!_

Alexa glanced down at her iPhone, a snort escaping her as she looked over at Scott. ''Sister from another mister?''


	10. Chapter 10

**Saturday 23rd July **

_''Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast. My guest today is... I want to say Lex, but-''_

''But nobody will know who the hell you're talking about.''

_''Right! So, uh, you'll probably all know her better as WWE Diva; Sierra.''_

''Urgh! I hate the that word, 'Diva'... it feels like a sideshow term to me. I don't see myself as that, I see myself as a wrestler.''

_''I totally get it and, no offence meant to anyone, you are a better wrestler than a lot of the men out there.''_

''Thank you.''

_''So back when you started out in the WWE, it was before the whole 'PG era' came into it, how much do you think has changed for the women since then?''_

''It was 2004 when I started out and back then, it wasn't uncommon to have the women and the guys mix it up in the ring. There were a lot of intergender tag matches, the 'Battle of the Sexes' match between Lita, Trish, Jericho and Christian-''

_''And you did a lot of stuff with the guys too?''_

''I did, yeah. I was lucky enough to be involved with the whole 'Evolution' storyline and got to work quite a bit with those guys. I got to take the Pedigree from Triple H and I even had a few chops to the chest from Flair, they hurt like a bitch!''

_''I bet! Especially since... well, you know...''_

''I've got boobs?''

_''Yeah.''_

''Yeah, I was bruised for a while after. I guess I'm pretty lucky that I never got implants put in, they would've exploded or something...''

_''That's a great visual!"_

''I know, right! So, yeah... I did a lot of stuff with Edge and Lita too, that was fun. And Umaga, I had a match against him. If you could even call it a match, it lasted like two minutes...''

_''Didn't you briefly join DX at one point?''_

''Yes! I'd almost forgotten about that! I think that was back in 2006. For Triple H and Shawn to even let me have the smallest part in that... it was amazing.''

_''Did you get nervous at all? Working with big names like Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair?''_

"Honestly? I used to be terrified, it was a lot of pressure for them to have that kind of trust in me. Before each big match, or promo, I used to feel like I was either going to puke or piss myself.''

_''...Classy...''_

''What were we talking about? Oh, yeah... with the PG thing now, it's all changed. I mean, I do like that the women aren't sexualized so much. There's no bra and panties matches or paddle on a pole matches...''

_''Wasn't your début a bra and panties match?''_

''Yes, trust you to remember that! I used to hate them... You men will never understand the torture we women go through for those matches, if you did, you sure as hell wouldn't enjoy watching them.''

_''Torture?''_

''Tape! The amount of tape we have to use to make sure nothing pops out where it's not supposed to is unreal... There were times where I thought, fuck it, I'd rather have a nip slip than put myself through this.''

_''I honestly don't think anyone would have minded!''_

''Probably not... but, yeah... the women also don't really get to mix it up with the guys like we used to... that's the kind of thing that's missing today.''

_''So you enjoyed working matches with men?''_

"I think you get more of an opportunity to showcase what you can really do. Some girls can't base for certain things. Some girls won't catch you on certain dives. Men, you can give it you all and they rarely complain about it, some girls will bitch about breaking a nail. I, personally, love men versus women matches because it's wrestler versus wrestler. It's to see who the best wrestler out of the two is. I don't see why people dislike the concept so much. I mean, I'm not saying that Kelly Kelly should be wrestling Kane or whatever. I just think there's certain women wrestlers who can handle an intergender match and still have it be wrestler versus wrestler, you know?''

_''Do you think, more recently, that there's more of a focus on looks rather than in-ring abilities when it comes to the women's division?''_

''Yes... but I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, it's just a part of show business and sports entertainment. I was there when they had the first ever Diva Search and, at the time, we were all really dubious about it. Maria Kanellis was part of that and she was with the company for over six years. She wasn't the greatest in the ring but she worked her ass off and people loved her. Candice Michelle; she was completely inexperienced at first but she was really eager to learn. She was the first former Diva Search contestant to win the Championship. Eve Torres; she had no wrestling experience either but after winning the 2007 Diva Search, she worked hard and really improved herself... Michelle McCool's awesome... and Alicia Fox! She got signed to the WWE after being seen in a fashion catalogue by John Laurinaitis! I love her. I honestly think she's one of the most underrated women on the roster, I'd love to work with her when I go back... Hell, Trish even started out as a fitness model and look at everything she accomplished... They all proved that they deserved to be there. On the other hand, if someone wasn't willing to learn and just wanted to get by on their looks, that would piss me off.''

_''All good points. God, I'd forgotten that you'd been around for so long!"_

''I know, me too sometimes! Oh, and Stacy Keibler! I almost forgot about her, sorry Stace! She started out as one of the Nitro Girls, you know, just there to look all pretty. Then she came over to the WWE after they took over WCW. She was such a lovely person and she worked so hard to improve her in-ring abilities; she was always asking all the girls for help. There was this one time where she was supposed to win the Women's Championship but she actually turned it down, because she wanted to give other people who deserved it a chance. I've got a lot of respect for Stacy.''

_''I think, along with Lita, you were one of the few women in the company that people could really relate to. I mean, you're obviously a beautiful girl, but you never emphasized it. You're outfits were never overly revealing and you were never caked in make-up like some of the others were. Was that a conscious decision on your part?''_

''Yeah, totally. I was so young when I first started out too, I was just hell bent on proving to everyone what an athlete I was in the ring. I didn't care about my make-up as much and my outfits weren't as sparkly...I just wanted my match to be amazing. Lita and Trish were always the same. I remember when they were doing their main event match on Raw and I was standing with them while they got ready in the locker room. All the girls were around, putting on spray tan and everything was sparkly and shiny... They both looked at each other and Trish said, 'I think I wore this outfit for the past three days for the house shows.' I mean, you'd think that they'd care and be like, 'Got to wear something special for the main event,' but they didn't. It was just about what they were going to do in the ring. We were a lot alike in that respect, which is probably why so many people enjoyed our matches.''

_''So, there's obviously a lot more pressure on women in this industry to look good. Was there ever any pressure for you to get breast implants? I mean, we know a lot of women in the past have had them done...''_

''Not really, I mean, nobody ever came up to me and told me that I needed a bigger rack. If they had, I think I probably would have punched them in the face!"

_''Sounds about right!"_

''And as for the pressure to look 'perfect' all the time, I made sure to never let myself feel that way. I am who I am, flaws and all. I'm not apologetic for who I am, and I'm not going to be. It's just not me.''

_''Were you ever asked to do Playboy?''_

''A couple of times. Personally, I think there are some things that should be left to the imagination. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but it's not for me. I'd rather be remembered for what I do in the ring than showing off my goodies.''

_''You were good friends with all the women? No backstage dramas or fights?''_

''I mean, obviously there are going to be people that you don't get along with, in all walks of life. But other than one or two people, who I won't name, I was pretty good friends with most of the women there. I think when you're working with a friend in the ring, it makes such a difference. Trish, Lita, Molly Holly, Victoria, Mickie... They all helped me in their own way and I loved working with all of them.''

_''Did you get any resentment from anyone backstage? You got in there and got a top spot really quickly.'' _

''Uh... not really, no. I was very fortunate with that. People could see that I was busting a gut and putting all my effort into my matches. It was almost hard to enjoy, because of all the other people I knew who were working so hard, but weren't acknowledged for it... I pissed off the agents a few times though, mainly by doing moves that they didn't approve beforehand...''

_''Oooh, do tell!"_

''I was feuding with Mickie a lot right before I got injured, and there was a fatal-four-way for the title at Judgment Day in 2008. Me, Mickie, Melina and Beth Phoenix. We were planning the match and going through our spots and stuff and I suggested that we do a DDT on the barricade. Mickie agreed and we kind of decided to hide it from everyone except the four of us. We did check with our agent first, to make sure it was okay. I think it was Fit, and it's no secret that he was always fighting for the girls there. We didn't really practice it, we just stood on the barricade to make sure we could stand safely and get our balance... So we're in the match, Beth and Melina are laid out around the ring while we do the bump on the outside. It looks sick, pops off... The next day, one of the agents came up to us and was like: 'I can't believe you did that! You have no idea! We were all backstage, scared to death!' We were like: 'What? We know how to safely bump. We wouldn't do anything that would put either one of us at risk. We're totally fine! If the men can do it, why can't we do it?' He said: 'It looked too good! You can't go out there throwing punches like that, or taking bumps like that - that looks better than some of the guys! You can't do that!' He was totally laying into us. Chris Jericho, hears all of this going on and comes over. He said: 'Look, if the guys can't follow what the girls are doing, then the guys need to step it up! I thought it was awesome. They did great. And it's not their problem that it looked that great!' It was awesome, to have one of the top guys there willing to stick up for us like that.''

_''That's pretty stupid that they were calling you out on that, and kudos to Chris for speaking up for you guys. Speaking of Mr. Jericho, you guys are pretty good friends, aren't you?''_

''Yeah, we are close... he keeps trying to get rid of me but it's not happening... He was the first person I met and he took me under his wing, showed me the ropes, so to speak.''

_''Kind of like me and Punk did when we first met you?''_

''Yeah! God, I was a total dork back then...''

_''I hate to break it to you, but you still are! When did we first meet, was it 2001? 2002?''_

''2002.''

_''Okay, so, 2002. We're doing a Ring of Honor show at the old ECW arena in Philly. Me and Punk were practicing in the ring and we spot Lex, sat over near the ring, watching us. Punk being Punk, tells me she's hot so we should go over and talk to her. We head over and his opening line is; haven't I seen you someplace before?''_

''So smooth...''

_''And without missing a beat, she says; yeah, that's probably why I don't go there anymore.''_

''It was the start of a beautiful friendship.''

_''It really was... we spent practically the next year and a half together until you got called up to the WWE.''_

''I had some of the best times of my life at Ring of Honor and with you two, you helped me so much.''

_''You wrestled against some of the guys there didn't you?''_

''Yeah, the bookers had seen some off my stuff from Mexico where I exclusively wrestled against the men, because there were no women. They thought it would be good idea, so they put me against a few of the guys that were willing to put me over; Matt Stryker, The American Dragon, Chris Spradlin...''

_''You had a great match against Punk too.''_

''I did... I totally kicked his ass and constantly remind him of that whenever he pisses me off.''

_''And, am I right in thinking it was a match against Mickie that got you scouted by the WWE?''_

''Yeah. She was wrestling as Alexis Laree back then. We had a match in July 2003 and there was a talent scout in the audience, which we didn't know at the time. We must have impressed because we both got signed and went down to OVW together.''

_''You two are pretty tight then?''_

''Yeah, she's awesome.''

_''Tell me about growing up and how you first got into wrestling.''_

''My dad was a wrestler. He was best friends with Eddie Guerrero when he was growing up and they both started out together. I was always at the shows when I was a kid and my love of it came from watching them. I think I was like, ten, when my dad had to retire after injuring his leg and we moved up to Canada, where my mom was from. I tried to convince him that I was set on becoming a wrestler but it took a while for him to take me seriously. Eventually he did and set up a ring in our backyard to start training me.''

_''Was it, like, a full-sized ring?''_

''No, it was only a small one. I think it was 16x16, just a little smaller than the ones at Ring of Honor. It was a complete heap of shit, but it worked... Anyway, he passed away a couple of years later... Me and my mom... I never really bonded with her like I did with my dad, we weren't close at all. After the funeral, she went out and destroyed the ring.''

_''Destroyed it?''_

''I swear it looked like she'd taken a fucking wrecking ball to it... We got into the biggest argument... Long story short, she gave me enough money for a flight, kicked me out, and I headed back down to Texas.''

_''Let me get this straight; your Father dies, she takes away the ring you shared with him then kicks you out?''_

''Pretty much, yeah.''

_''And you were how old?''_

''Twelve.''

_''God, what a bitch... Have you spoke to her since?''_

''Nope... but it's cool... I'm over it.''

_''So what happened when you went to Texas, where did you go?''_

''Well, Eddie was with the WWE by that point and Vickie and the girls had moved to Florida. So, Mando, Eddie's brother, took me in and agreed to carry on with my training. Little known fact, Mando used to work as a trainer at GLOW and was actually the one who trained Ivory.''

_''Small world, huh? When did you go down to Mexico?''_

''Just after I turned fifteen. Mando pulled some strings with some people he knew in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, which is one of the most prominent independent promotions in Mexico. There wasn't a big women's division down there at the time, so they just decided to put me in a mask as pass me off as a dude.''

_''What about, you know, boobs?''_

''I was a bit of a late bloomer... when I finally did, I had to strap them up.''

_''Where did you live while you were down there?''_

''Luckily, my dad had made some pretty good friends down there and one of them agreed to take me in. José Luis Rodríguez Arellano, also known as Dos Caras.''

_''That name sounds familiar...''_

''He's Alberto Del Rio's father.''

_''Really? So you grew up with Alberto Del Rio?''_

''Kind of... he was twenty-three at the time, so he was out doing his own thing while I did mine. His mom was amazing, usually she was surrounded by men so she loved having a girl around the house.''

_''It's weird that I never knew that...''_

''I guess you don't know me as well as you thought you did.''

_''Obviously not! So, we've talked about everything except for the elephant in the room... your injury... I know sometimes when people suffer a traumatic injury they black out and don't remember anything. Do you remember what happened that night?''_

''I really wish I didn't and it was all a big blank but yeah, I remember pretty much everything.''

_''So, you were in the ring with Mickie about to do your finisher from the top rope and you fall...''_

''Yeah... I really can't explain why it happened... I think the bottom of my boot got caught on the top turnbuckle, I'm not entirely sure without watching it back.''

_''You haven't watched it since?''_

''Fuck no. Living it once was bad enough, I don't need to watch it too.''

_''What was going through your mind?''_

''As I was falling, all that was going through my mind was that I needed to try and not land on my head. Which, obviously, didn't work out too well for me. I must have blacked out for, like, a second after I hit the steps because I don't really remember hitting them. I just remember laying face down on the mat, looking over to see my wrists completely bent in and not being able to move.''

_''I remember watching at home and I was freaking the fuck out. As soon as you hit the steps the camera cut away to the crowd who were all silent. The announcers weren't saying anything other than that you were being seen to by the doctors. I seriously thought you'd died or something, especially when I couldn't get in touch with Punk.''_

''Yeah, when the crowd went quiet it was super weird... apparently, it was the same backstage. Everybody was watching the monitors wondering what the fuck was going on.''

_''I can imagine. Save for the Owen Hart accident, nothing like that had really happened before... Were you in a lot of pain?''_

''Not as much as you would think. My shoulders hurt and my face and chest felt like they were on fire...''

_''What happened after they got you backstage?''_

''Everyone was crowded around, asking what had happened and if I was alright. I was like, do I fucking look alright to you? I still couldn't feel anything so I just kept my eyes closed and tried to stop myself from getting hysterical.''

_''Who went to the hospital with you?''_

''Chris... he was supposed to have a match right after me but Stephanie changed it and sent him with me instead. I can remember her screaming and swearing about the ambulance not being there yet. So, I finally get to the hospital and they had to completely stabilize me before the doctor told Chris that he needs to call my family because they didn't think I'd make it through the night.''

_''What the fuck, really?!"_

''Yeah, I know. He didn't tell me this at the time, obviously... He called Mando and Vickie, who were the closest to family I have. They flew in right away, Stephanie arranged everything, she was brilliant...''

_''What exactly did you do to your neck? Obviously, you broke it, but it must have been really severe for them to think you could die.''_

''I broke my C1, C2 and then I herniated my C5 and C6. C1 is, like, a ring at the top of your skull... it controls all of your range of motion. They said, normally what happens is that bone will snap inward and it'll sever all the nerves there which controls your breathing, controls the blood pumping to your brain, everything... somehow, by some miracle, mine went in, hit my spinal cord and bounced back out.''

_''And they told you that you wouldn't be able to move again?''_

''Yeah... but three days later, I did. I could move my hands, I didn't have a lot of feeling in them but I could move them. Then, I started to feel my feet and everything started to come back. A physical therapist came in to work with me and she helped me get out of bed, but it was too painful to walk. A few days later, I had resigned myself to the fact that I'd probably never get into the ring again. Then, in walked Lita.''

_''Lita came to see you?''_

''I know, I was surprised too. We were friends but we had sort of lost touch when she retired. She gave me this huge pep talk, basically told me to stop feeling sorry for myself and man the fuck up.''

_''Nice.''_

''It's what I needed. After she'd left, I got up and managed to walk down the hall to the bathroom, all by myself.''

_''How are you feeling now?''_

''Health wise, I'm 100 percent. I'm still doing some rehab on my neck, you know, to try to keep it as strong as possible. After the surgery I spent a lot of time sat at home in my neck brace, not able to do anything so I gained a bit of weight. As soon as I could, I went back to working out and now, physically, I think I'm in the best shape of my life.''

_''When do you think you'll be back?''_

''Honestly, I think it'll be a while until I'm back in the ring full-time. I've only just managed to get over the fear of going up to the top rope again... so, mentally, there's still a lot of things to work on.''

_''You're down in Florida now aren't you? Training at the developmental facility?''_

''Yeah, I'm working at FCW until I'm ready to go back to the main roster.''

_''What's it like down there?'' _

''It's an amazing place. Everyone's been so supportive and welcoming.''

_''Any future stars down there we need to look out for?''_

''There's so many, I'm not going to give any names because I'm bound to forget someone and they'll be pissed at me.''

_''Just a few standouts...''_

''Okay; Johnny Curtis, who I believe you have doing a podcast with you in a couple of weeks?''

_''I do, stay tuned people!''_

''Um, Leo Kruger, Damien Sandow, Big E Langston, Brad Maddox, Bo Rotunda, Husky Harris, Leakee, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose...''

_''What about women?''_

''AJ Lee, Kaitlyn, Naomi, Raquel Diaz.''

_''Eddie Guerrero's daughter?''_

''One and the same. She's amazing, her old man would be so proud... There's a lot of talented people down there. Honestly, I don't know why some of them haven't been called up to the main roster yet.''

_''I'm sure they will, good things happen to those who wait, as they say... Now, I have one more thing to ask you, and it's extremely important...''_

''Okay...''

_''Who do you like better; me or Punk?''_

''Oooh! You can't ask me that, that's not fair!"

_''Answer it!"_

''Okay, I'm basing my answer purely on who gives the best lap dance... Colt!"

_''Yes! I finally beat Punk at something!''_

''You are way too happy about this...''

_''I know. And on that note, thank you to my lovely guest for today, Sierra! Make sure to follow her on Twtter!"_


	11. Chapter 11

**Monday 25th July**

''I can't believe Phil actually trusts us to stay here while he's gone.''

''Us?''

''...You...''

''Okay, first of all, fuck you. Second of all-'' Alexa stopped mid-rant when a clump of cheese fell from the slice of pizza in her hand, dropping onto the seat of the sofa. Her eyes widened in panic and she quickly picked it up, letting out a relieved sigh when she didn't see a mark on the fabric.

''I rest my case.''

''Shut up.''

The pair were lounging in Phil's living room as they watched Raw; the man in question having flown out to Virgina earlier in the day in order to make a brief appearance at the end of the show.

''When are you heading back to Tampa?''

She shrugged and swallowed the mouthful before responding. ''I'm not sure. Why, sick of me already?''

''Yes.''

''I've changed my mind. Phil's my favourite.''

''You can't change it. I have audio evidence that you picked me.'' He poked his tongue out at her. ''Have you checked your Twitter yet? I put the podcast up yesterday and everyone's saying it's the best one yet.''

She put her empty plate on the coffee table and grabbed her phone, starting to scroll through her timeline.

_ ColtCabana: ART OF WRESTLING Ep 53 w/ RealSierra is up now! We talk about nip slips and broken necks, check it out!_

After reading some of the complimentary comments attached, she grinned over at Scott. ''I'm actually surprised. I really thought people would've forgotten about me, I've been off the grid for so long.''

''You were one of the most popular faces in the company, of course they wouldn't forget you. God, I can just imagine the huge fucking pop you're going to get when you return.''

''You think?''

''Either that or it'll go deathly silent.'' He teased.

''That would totally suck balls...''

They both turned their attention to the television as John Cena's theme sounded, signalling the end of the match. The new WWE Champion celebrated in the ring with his title, raising Rey Mysterio's arm in respect. His music suddenly cut out and 'Cult of Personality' by Living Colour started to play, much to everyone's confusion. After a few moments, the crowd let out a huge cheer when CM Punk appeared at the top of the ramp wearing his WWE championship belt.

John watched on with a bemused smile as the other man walked down the ramp and climbed into the ring, coming to a halt right in front of him. The Boston native said a few words before raising his newly won title in the air, getting a rather lackluster response from the crowd. CM Punk laughed as he unclasped the matching belt from around his waist, before he raised it in the air opposite. The crowd let out an ear-eplitting cheer of approval, making John slowly lower his arm in defeat. Raw cut off the air just as he was making his way to exit the ring.

''Sucks to be Cena.'' Scott laughed as he started to flick through the television stations.

''I don't think I could handle getting booed like that every night.''

''He's been put on a pedestal by creative for so long, it's not his fault. I guess the fans are just sick of him being shoved down their throats week in week out."

''Still, it can't be easy. They need to turn him heel again, I loved it when he had the whole 'Thuganomics' gimmick.''

''I doubt they'll go back to that though, not now it's all PG.''

Alexa's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ''Why?''

He cocked an eyebrow, eyes shining in amusement. ''Are you being serious right now? All that time you spent valeting him back in the day, and you don't know what Thuganomics is?''

"What exactly does a 'Doctor of Thuganomics' do?"

"You must know what thugging is?" Scott asked, then seeing the genuine confusion on her face began to explain. "You can use a different four letter word in place of the word 'thug.'"

"...Fuck? Fucking? He's a Doctor of... Oh."

Scott snorted, his laughter filling the room. ''Oh my God, that is the single most hilarious thing you've ever said.''

''Shut up.'' She muttered, cheeks flooding with embarrassment.

His response was cut of by the shrill ringing of the cell phone in her lap, the woman letting out a groan when she saw who was calling.

''Who is it?''

She chewed her lip. ''Jon.''

''You going to answer it?''

''Nope.''

Scott rolled his eyes. ''Ignoring him isn't going to help anything.''

She had told him all about the situation she found herself in with Jon, hoping he would be able to give her some advice. All he had said is that he thought she should talk to him, before things got awkward and their friendship was ruined completely.

''I know, I know. I'll talk to him when I get back.''

''Maybe you _should_ just sleep with him.''

Alexa almost choked on the sip of Red Bull she took right as Scott opened his mouth. She cleared her throat after harshly swallowing, shooting him an incredulous look. ''What the hell, Scotty?''

''It's been, what, three years since you and Orton split up?'' At her nod, he continued. ''You haven't dated, or even, you know, had your lady parts handled since then, right?"

She hit him with a look of derision. ''After everything that happened with Randy, do you seriously think I want to put myself out there, open my heart up just to get fucked over again? No.''

"Well, I didn't say you had to open your heart... just your legs.''

''You are ridiculous... just wait until I tell Phil how you're trying to pimp me out.''

* * *

**Friday 29th July**

''Lex...'' Phil chuckled as she snuggled deeper into the duvet. ''Lex.'' After she didn't answer, he placed his face right beside her ear. ''C'mon, you have to get up.''

Alexa absently swatted at his head. ''Go away...''

He rolled his eyes and took a deep breath before screaming in her ear. ''WHOOOOO!''

She jumped in surprise and dropped right off the edge of the bed. "What…" She looked up at Phil, who was laughing his ass off at the dazed look on her face. "…the fuck is going on?"

"Good morning." He grinned down ar her.

"Where am I?" It dawned on her that she was on the floor, which confused her more. "…why am I on the ground?" She stood up slowly, still looking a little out of it. "I had this totally whacked out dream that Ric Flair was screaming in my ear... so not cool."

He laughed. ''Yeah, my bad.''

She flopped back down on the bed and closed her eyes. ''I wish there was a job where you could just stay in bed all day, that would be_ perfect _for me.''

''Yeah, it's called a brothel.''

Alexa opened her eyes to glare at him. ''Funny.''

''I thought so. Come on, you need to get your shit together, your flights in two hours.''

Alexa walked through the terminal at Tampa International Airport, making her way over to the baggage claim. After almost twenty minutes of watching people scurry back and forth looking for their luggage, she spotted hers and quickly grabbed it before moving over to the waiting area and taking a seat. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she scrolled through her contacts before her finger landed on Colby's name.

_''Yo.''_

''Hey... uh, are you busy?''

_''Not really, just chilling. Why, what's up?''_

''My flight's just landed and I'm stuck at the airport, I left my purse in Chicago so I haven't got any money for a cab.''

_''And you need a ride?''_

''Yeah...''

_''No problem, I'll be there as soon as I can.''_

''You're a lifesaver, thank you!"

They ended the call and she hoisted up her bag, deciding to make her way over to the small restaurant to grab something to eat. She sat people-watching while she munched on her fries before passing some time on Twitter.

_ RealSierra: __Hey, skinny guy having a Greek yogurt and Vitamin Water for lunch; I'd come punch you in the face but I don't want my fries to get cold._

_ IAmJericho: RealSierra you're always eating, how are you not 300 pounds?!_

_ RealSierra: IAmJericho Good genes?_

A phone call from Colby letting her know he was outside put a stop to her Twitter frenzy; she actually hated Phil for goading her into getting the app, she was slowly becoming obsessed. She went and picked up a cup of coffee for Colby before heading out to the front of the building where the pick-up point was. Spotting him leaning against car, she made her way over and greeted him with a smile, holding out the cup of coffee.

"You're amazing.'' He told her gratefully, taking a large gulp. ''Thank you."

She smirked, a laugh escaping her lips. "Yeah, I know."

"And modest, too." He opened the trunk for her and she shoved her bag in before hopping into the passenger seat. ''So, how was your time away?''

''It was great.'' Alexa told him with a smile, glancing out of the window as he pulled away and tore down the street. ''Nice to get away for a while, you know?''

''Get up to much?''

''I mainly just hung out with the guys. We watched a lot of TV, I did Scott's podcast, went to my first ever hockey game...''

''You've _never_ been before?''

She snorted. ''Yeah, I know, I fail at being Canadian... and I got a tattoo. Phil lives right above this studio, so he convinced me to get another one.''

''What did you get?''

They had just stopped at a red light, so Alexa ducked her head down and moved her hair out of the way so he could see the new tattoo she had behind her left ear. It was a small silhouette of Peter Pan, Wendy, John and Michael flying through the air. ''I loved that movie as a kid. My dad told me that I used to insist on leaving my window open, just in case Peter Pan would come visit me.''

He chuckled and the car started moving again. ''I bet you were a cute kid.''

''I was adorable.'' She confirmed as she reached over to punch at the radio, which had Colby's iPod connected to it. "Do you not have any decent music on here?" She asked, continuing to scan through songs that she didn't recognize. ''When we get back, I'm going to lend you my iPod so you can listen to some _real _music.'' She smiled when she found some AC/DC and pressed play.

''You like this?'' He asked, sounding surprised.

''I _love_ this.''

''Funny, I pegged you as more of a Taylor Swift kind of girl.''

''How dare you.'' She deadpanned, glaring across at him.

* * *

Several hours, a hot bath and a couple of glasses of wine later, Alexa was feeling relaxed and ready for a quiet night in front of the television. She had thrown on her black pyjama shorts with an old Beastie Boys t-shirt and towel dried her hair, before settling on the couch. She was just beginning to flick through the cable channels for something to watch when she was interrupted by a soft knock. She headed over to the door, swinging it open and mouth dropping open in surprise at the face staring back at her.

Jon.

''Hey.'' Alexa offered him a smile, letting her eyes wander over him appreciatively. Dressed in his usual combination of jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket; he looked just as good as usual, the scruff on his face making him infinitely more attractive to her. ''You want to come in?''

''Sure.''

The moved wordlessly into the living room, both taking up seats on the sofa before she cleared her throat awkwardly. ''So, uh, wh-''

''You're driving me fucking crazy!'' Jon's frustrated cry cut her off and she gaped over at him as he ran a hand through his hair. ''I can't stop thinking about you, and the kiss... I like you, a lot, but I'm not good with shit like this...''

She felt his warm breath fan across her face as he moved closer, looking up into his deep blue eyes, getting lost in the intensity. ''Jon...''

''I've been trying to ignore it... I tried to hook up with some chick the other night but I couldn't go through with it...because all I could think about was you... I_ really _don't want to fuck up our friendsh-''

Before he knew what was happening she had launched herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck and her lips smashing against his as she kissed him fiercely. A moment passed without him responding and she briefly thought he would break the kiss and shove her away.

But he didn't.

Instead, he poured all his frustration into the kiss, his hands trailing down her sides as she slung her left leg over his lap, moving so she was straddling him.

Alexa could feel his strong hands traveling up her knees to her thighs, coming around to cup her backside. He gave it a gentle squeeze before breaking away from her, his lips beginning an assault on her neck as she whimpered, hands fisting his hair tightly. His hands skimmed the skin underneath her shirt, and she shivered at the contact.

Using his strength, he flipped their positions and Alexa's felt her back hit the seat. She opened her mouth to speak but was quickly cut off when he covered her mouth with his own; the scruff on his face tickling her skin as their lips danced. She let her hands wander down his muscular back, coming to rest on his behind. Arching her body into his, she let out a husky moan when she felt the proof that he was enjoying this just as much as she was.

Breaking away from her, Jon's lips found their way down to the base of her neck; she groaned as he nipped lightly on the tanned flesh he found, heat coursing through her body.

''Jon...''

Alexa felt him smirk against her neck and, seemingly satisfied that the skin would be adorned with his mark, moved his lips back up to hers. She was in the process of pushing his leather jacket down his shoulders when he moved away from her lips.

He let out a low groan, and leaned his forehead against hers. ''Maybe we shouldn't...''

''You don't want me?'' She looked up at him dejectedly, her chest heaving against his.

''I think you can _feel _how much I want you.'' He rolled his hips and smirked as she sucked in a sharp breath, his arousal pressing against her. ''All I want to do is rip your clothes off... I'm just trying to do the right thing.''

Alexa didn't say a word, instead, she leaned up and kissed just under his ear. Her lips slowly trailed down his neck and she opened her mouth when she reached his collarbone, letting her teeth lightly graze over it. A guttural moan tore from his throat and she smiled, moving her mouth up to his ear. ''What about what feels right?''

She lay her head back against the arm rest and he looked down as he contemplated her words; her hair was wildly fanned around her head, her swollen lips were curled in a sultry smile and her eyes were looking up at him expectantly.

They just stared at each other for a second before he shrugged out of his jacket and pulled his t-shirt off, discarding it over his shoulder. Her eyes shamelessly swept over him and she lifted her hand, raking her nails over his bare chest. His hand traced up and down her thigh as their lips crashed together, she caught his bottom lip in her teeth and gently pulled, eliciting a low growl from Jon.

''I think you're wearing too many clothes.''

''You going to do something about that?" She responded playfully.

He chuckled and pushed her shirt up, trailing soft kisses up her stomach as she lifted her torso so he could pull the fabric over her head. His lips came down to kiss the swell of her breasts as he slipped his hand behind her back, deftly unhooked the bra and threw it across the room.

Alexa's eyes fluttered closed as he took a nipple into his mouth, flicking his tongue over it before giving it a gentle bite. The contact drew a whimper from her lips and she ran her hands over the muscles in his arms and shoulders, before her fingers wound into his hair. She threw her head back as he continued the assault on her breasts, tightening her legs around his waist as she ground against his erection, pleasurable jolts shooting through her body with every rise and fall of her hips.

Jon rolled his hips in time with hers and moved his lips up to her ear, biting gently on the lobe before he captured her lips. She quivered underneath him as the kiss became hungrier, one of his hands moving down to her shorts. He pushed past the fabric, softly running his fingers over her most sensitive spot and she let out a moan.

"Maybe we should move this to your bedroom..." He murmured.

Alexa couldn't form any coherent words, her body still being teased mercilessly by his skilled hands, letting out another moan instead. He smirked, adding more pressure to his light caressing.

''Jon!"

He pulled his hand away from its teasing and grasped her tightly, pulling her up from the couch. She latched her hand into his and started to lead him down the hallway, only managing a few feet before he pinned her against the wall and claimed her lips roughly. He slowly slid his hand over her stomach before dipping it into her shorts, groaning when he felt how ready she was for him.

Alexa found herself pressed harder against the wall as he drove two fingers inside her. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as he used his thumb to circle the bundle of nerves, his lips making their way to her neck. She moaned, her breathing quickening as her hips began to move with his hand.

"Fuck!" Her nails dug into his shoulder.

She kissed him as she pulled him tighter to her, groaning into his mouth as he drove his fingers faster. He pulled away from her lips and gazed down at her, feeling himself growing painfully harder as he took in her wanton appearance. Her head was tilted back against the wall, eyes closed and her bottom lip was sucked in between her teeth.

"Anybody ever tell you how fucking gorgeous you are?" He pushed his fingers into her harder, feeling her begin to tighten around them.

Alexa moaned, feeling the familiar sensation start to build. He quickened his pace and her nails dug into his shoulders as he kissed her, his tongue wrestling with hers. Her cries grew louder and he could feel her growing tighter around his fingers before her whole body tensed.

"Oh, fuck!" She twitched and arched against his upper body as she rode the waves of her orgasm out.

He withdrew his fingers and she panted heavily as she looked up at him. ''Bedroom. Now."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N - I was close to just abandoning this story but when I saw the comments on the last chapter it made me change my mind, thank you so much to everyone who took the time to review, it really means a lot :)**

* * *

**Monday 3rd August**

''One more, come on! You can do it!"

''You're fucking killing me!" Alexa complained, grimacing as she struggled to keep up her pace.

She was working out in the gym at the FCW building with Celeste, and now understood why the other women rarely joined her; she was a complete gym Nazi. Thankfully, she made it through the last set of squats before grabbing her bottle and gulping down a few mouthfuls of water.

''You did great!'' Celeste told her. ''Five minute break and then back to work.''

Alexa groaned, causing the other woman to let out a small laugh. She raised the bottle back to her lips and inclined her head to the doorway, where she found April and Shaul making their way inside.

''Lex, You're still standing.'' April teased, sending the other woman a grin. ''I'm impressed. I swear I nearly die every time I work out with her.''

''I'll definitely be sore tomorrow, that's for sure.'' Alexa laughed.

''From the workout?'' Shaul asked, a cheeky twinkle in her eyes. ''Or from all the sex you were having this weekend?''

Alexa choked on her drink as April and Celeste turned to look at her with identical shocked expressions. She quickly wiped at the water that had dribbled down her chin and tried her best to look nonchalant. ''What are you talking about?''

"Well, you are in an exceptionally good mood today." The younger woman observed as she eyed her.

''So?'' She snorted.

''So... that, and the huge hickey on your neck, brings me to the conclusion that you finally got laid.''

Alexa quickly pulled her hair over the left side of her neck so that it covered the offending mark; Shaul let out a cackle and high-fived the other two women. The door to the gym suddenly swung open and hit the wall with a loud bang, cutting off her response. They glanced over to the entrance and Alexa inwardly groaned when she saw Jon follow Colby inside.

''Ladies.'' The latter greeted as the pair walked past them, heading over to the benches.

''Well?''

''Yeah, who was it?''

''Anybody we know?''

''Nope.'' She replied with a smirk, her eyes still focused on Jon.

''Lex...'' Shaul whined, pouting at her old friend. ''Come on, give us something!''

''Holy shit, dude!''

Colby's exclamation made the three women turn around to see what was going on, their eyes gliding to the two men in the corner. Jon had removed his shirt, revealing several angry red lines running down the length of his back, accompanied by crescent shaped marks on his shoulders.

The man shrugged, his lips curling into a smug grin as his eyes snapped up to meet Alexa's briefly. ''Totally worth it, bro.''

* * *

After spending what felt like the entire day at the gym, Alexa had never been so grateful for her couch and a slice of pizza. Shaul had been the only one to notice the exchange between her and Jon at the gym, and made her spill everything in exchange for her silence on the matter.

''So, are you two together now or...''

She just shrugged as she picked at the crust of her pizza. ''We didn't really talk about it.''

Shaul cocked an eyebrow at her. "I bet you didn't."

"You don't think I'm a slut?'' Alexa asked softly. ''I've slept with Randy too... I don't want to get a reputation...''

"What the fuck, Lex? Of course not!" She insisted. ''You and Randy were in a long-term relationship and that was a long time ago. Anybody who knows you, knows that you're not the kind of person who just jumps into bed with someone just for the hell of it.''

''I'm not, or, at least, I wasn't... I don't know what's going on.''

''You need to talk to him, set things straight.''

She nodded, knowing that her friend was right. ''I know.''

The conversation came to an end and Alexa pulled out her phone as Shaul went to visit the bathroom, updating her Twitter.

_ RealSierra: Ate salad for dinner. Mostly croutons and tomatoes. Really, just one big, round crouton covered with tomato sauce. And cheese... I ate a pizza._

A small smile made its way onto her face when she found a text from Jon, she let out a snort when she read it.

_**I think I'll have to get you a scratching post for Christmas.**_

_Or I could just keep using your back, if you're up for it, that is?_

_**I could be persuaded...**_

_I'm sure that won't be hard._

''You're texting lover boy, aren't you?''

Alexa glanced up as Shaul breezed into the room, jumping back onto the sofa and tucking her legs up. ''Maybe...''

_**Oh, it will be. Very hard.**_

* * *

**Tuesday 9th August**

_''You hear about Melina and Gail?''_

The two women had both been released from the company a few days before. On a personal level, Alexa found herself slightly pleased that they were gone, having had issues with both women in the past. But, on a professional level, she knew that they were two of the best female wrestlers that the WWE had and that losing them was a huge blow to the division.

Alexa balanced her cell phone between her shoulder and her ear as she grabbed her gym bag out of her car. ''Honestly, I can't say I'm too upset.''

Trish let out a snort from the other end of the phone. _''It's a shame, they were two of the best wrestlers there.''_

''Yeah, well, if they had both dropped the attitude they might have lasted longer.'' She scoffed, making her way into the FCW building.

_''True. So, anyway, I called to ask if you need a place to stay when you come up for Adam's appreciation night in September?''_

''Oh, I hadn't really thought about it. I just assumed I'd book into a hotel or something.''

_''Don't be stupid, you can stay with me and Ron! We've got plenty of room, plus it'll be nice to catch up properly.''_

''You sure he won't mind?''

_''Pfft, like he has a choice!''_

Alexa snorted as she used her hip to shove open the door to the women's locker room. ''Cool, well I'll give you a call when I've booked my flight, let you know the details and stuff.''

_''You haven't booked it yet?''_

''Nope.''

_''Nothing's changed, you still leave things until the last minute.''_

''What can I say? I'm a creature of habit.''

After saying their goodbyes, she dropped her phone on top of her bag and turned around; jumping in surprise when she found Jon standing directly behind her. ''Jesus Christ, Jon!'' Her hand shot to her chest. ''You almost gave me a fucking heart attack!"

His deep chuckle echoed through the room. ''Sorry.''

''What do yo-''

Alexa was cut off when he backed her up against the wall, his lips crashing hard against hers. His hands roughly gripped her waist as she clawed at his back, a soft whimper escaping as he caught her bottom lip in his teeth and gently tugged. She pulled away after a few moments, gasping for breath and looked up to find him smirking down at her. She barely had time to register the feral look in his eyes before he dipped down and began to slowly trail kisses up her neck.

''Jon... we need to talk.'' She moved her hands up to rest on his shoulders, her nails digging into his leather jacket.

''Sounds serious.''

''I just want to make sure we're both on the same page.''

''Alright.'' He murmured, lips still skimming along her neck.

''Will you focus? Please?''

Sighing, he pulled away. ''Look, I like you. Quite a lot, actually, but I don't want a relationship. I've always sucked at them and I know it'll end badly...''

''We're friends. That doesn't have to change.'' She kept her eyes locked on his, trying to portray as much indifference as possible. ''Why don't we just keep it casual?''

''Casual?'' He cocked a brow at the suggestion.

''We don't have to put a label on anything... let's just go with the flow.'' She shrugged.

He thought it over for a second before regarding her with a smirk. ''You sure you'll be able to handle it?''

''Get over yourself, you're not that great.'' She scoffed.

''I've got marks on my back that say otherwise.''

''Maybe you should refresh my memory.''

Jon reached down and tangled his hands in her hair, pulling her to him. Their mouths were just about to meet when they were interrupted.

''Yo, Torres!?"

She let out a disappointed sigh and Jon stepped back from her just as Colby came barreling into the room, followed by another man.

''Lex, this is Matt Polinsky.'' He gestured to the man beside him with a smile. ''He's just been signed, I'm playing tour guide today.''

''Hey, it's great to meet you.'' Matt smiled, holding out a hand.

Alexa smiled, taking his offer in a handshake. ''Likewise... you know, you look kind of familiar, have we met before?''

''I don't think so, I'm sure I'd remember.'' His lips quirked into a smirk.

Her head cocked to the side for a few moments before her eyes widened in realization. ''Sterling James Keenan, right?'' At his nod, she continued. ''2003, Pennsylvania. Ring of Honor Retribution: Round Robin Challenge II...''

''Holy shit! No way, _you're_ the chick who used to hang with Punk and Cabana!''

''Small world, huh? You look so much different now. Back then, you looked like Edge and John Morrison's love child!"

Colby let out a loud snort and Jon chuckled at the woman's comparison.

''That's... actually pretty accurate.'' Matt admitted with a grin. ''But, looking better now, I hope?''

She let her eyes travel up and down his figure, not even bothering to hide the fact that she was checking him out. ''Oh, yeah. Much better.''

Colby shook his head in amusement. ''We're going to head out tonight for a few drinks, if you two want to come?''

She nodded, shooting a sideways look at the Cincinnati native. ''Sure, I'm up for it.''

The double-meaning of her words was not lost on Jon, who smirked at her. ''I'll be there.''

* * *

''You look smokin', girl!"

Alexa snorted out a laugh as she finally reached the group who were crowded around a table at the bar, glancing down at her outfit. She wore a tight black skirt which reached mid-thigh, a pair of black suede ankle boots and an oversized white tee; the v-neckline cut low enough to show off her ample cleavage. Her hair had just been shoved up in a messy ponytail and her make-up was simple; just some thick black eyeliner and some foundation.

''Thanks, Trin.'' She glanced around at the faces around her. ''Hey, guys.''

Trinity, April, Celeste and Ariane were on one side of the table while Joe, Ettore and Matt took up the other side. Feeling herself deflate slightly when she couldn't see Jon, she excused herself to go and get a drink.

''Lex!"

Half-way to the bar, she was intercepted by Colby and a beautiful, dark-haired woman who she assumed to be his girlfriend.

''This is Leighla.'' He grinned happily. ''Leighla, this is Lex.''

''Nice to finally put a face to the name, this one doesn't shut up about you.'' Alexa smiled at the woman as he gestured to the man beside her.

Leighla laughed at the faint blush that started to cover her boyfriend's face, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. ''It's great to meet you too.''

After a few minutes of small talk she made her way towards the busy bar, patiently waiting to be served. Ten minutes later, she was still waiting. Huffing in exasperation, she was about to give up and head back to the table when she felt a strong hand on her back, keeping her in place. Seeing it was only Jon, she bit back the tongue lashing she had been planning and smiled up at him.

He leaned down and spoke into her ear. ''What do you want?''

Trying to ignore the effect his close proximity had on her she managed a reply, ''Vodka and Coke, please.''

He nodded and whistled, easily catching the bartenders attention. He ordered their drinks and casually rested his elbows on the bar, making the definition in his arms impossible to ignore. His faded jeans did nothing to hide the firm muscle of his thighs and a snug fitting shirt doing much the same for his chest under his patent black leather jacket.

She quickly tore her gaze away as he handed her the drink. ''Thank you.''

''No problem.'' His gaze raked hungrily over her body. "You look fucking hot, by the way.''

She took a sip of her drink before leaning closer to him, her lips curling into a smirk. ''You want to know a secret?''

''What?'' He rasped, eyes narrowing slightly.

Alexa leaned up and made sure her mouth was right next to his ear, before whispering. "I'm not wearing any underwear."

''You're evil.''

The husky tone of his voice sent a rush of heat through her body and she stepped back, a teasing glint in her eyes as she started to walk away. ''Catch you later.''

''Damn right you will.''

Hours later, Alexa had gone through more than a couple of drinks and was really starting to feel the effects. Their group had grown in numbers as the night went on. Jonathan and Jey Fatu, the Uso brothers, had joined them; Trinity had been excited to finally be able to introduce her new friend to her fiancé and his twin. Alexa thought they were both great guys and, much to everyone elses shock, had no trouble telling the two apart.

''What about you, Lex?''

''Yeah, ever get starstruck?''

All the women were huddled around one side of the table, while the guys took up the opposite side; both groups talking amongst themselves. The women's conversation had turned to people in the business that they most wanted to meet, or had met.

''I totally marked the fuck out when I met 'Taker.'' She admitted sheepishly.

* * *

_Alexa's eyes were glued to the screen of her cell phone as she searched through her contacts for Eddie's number. She had just arrived at the arena for the Smackdown taping and had, so far, been unable to find the locker room, or anybody who could help her find it. She was just about to hit the call button, her finger hovering over the screen, when she walked headfirst into a very solid chest. She looked up and found herself staring into the eyes of The Undertaker_

_"Holy Shit! Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I was – oh God – sorry."_

_Mark Calaway's eyes twinkled in amusement. "Take a breath, darlin'." He chuckled as she visibly did as he asked and inhaled deeply. ''Where you headed in such a hurry?''_

_''Uh...I'm trying to find the women's locker room and, failing that, Eddie Guerrero.'' She told him with a small smile, not quite believing she was standing in front of the Phenom himself._

_''I think I can help you there.'' He told her with a smile, before turning and pointing down the hallway. ''If you go down there and turn left, the locker room's the second door on the right.''_

_She raised an eyebrow. ''Do you make a habit of knowing where the women's locker room is?''_

_He shook his head and he let out a laugh. ''Not usually, but it's right next to the men's so I couldn't really miss it.''_

_''Well, I'd better go and get ready, I'm late enough as it it.'' Alexa told him, shifting her gym bag to her other shoulder. ''Sorry again for running into you.''_

* * *

''I love the Undetaker.'' April declared, taking a small sip of her coke.

''He's awesome.'' Alexa grinned. ''And pretty hot for an old guy...''

''Gross, he's old enough to be your father.'' Ariane pointed out, lips turned up in disgust.

''And yet, not my father, so therefore, fair game.'' She waggled her eyebrows.

''Somehow, I don't think you're his type.'' Celeste told her, patting her shoulder in mock-sympathy.

"A girl can dream...'' She sighed dramatically. ''Oftentimes does, too... sweaty, thrusty dreams...'' She trailed off, noticing that all the guys across the table were gaping at her with varying looks of horror on their faces. ''Lighten up, guys. I'm just joshing.''

"No sweaty, thrusty dreams?" April asked hopefully.

"Nope." Alexa shook her head, her nose crinkling just a bit. "Although, they wouldn't be unwelcome."

"Jesus... You're a special kind of weird." Jon shook his head from across the table, an amused smile on his face.

''You love it.''

''Lex, can I ask you something?'' Ariane piped up. ''It's kind of personal...''

''Sure.'' Alexa shrugged.

Trinity fixed her friend with a stern look. ''Ari, no.''

''Oh, please, you want to know just a bad as the rest of us. She doesn't have to answer if she doesn't want to.''

The other woman leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. ''Fine. But, girl, I ain't helping you if she slaps you.''

''I was just curious.'' Ariane started, moving forward to rest her forearms on the table. ''When you were with Randy... did he ever do the 'Orton pose' after, you know, being intimate?''

Alexa stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter. ''Surprisingly, no. But I did it a couple of times.''

The younger woman reached over to give her a high-five. ''Nice.''

* * *

Ariane had eventually grown bored of talking and after a few more drinks and a little persuasion, managed to drag Alexa over to the dance floor. Every so often, a sleazy-looking man kept approaching Ariane, trying to dance with her and not taking no for an answer. Each time, Alexa had to grab her hand and pull her to a different part of the dance floor but he kept following, obviously not getting the hint. Ariane was too polite to tell him to just get lost, but Alexa had no such qualms.

''Stop!" She shouted over the music, putting her hand out to stop him moving any closer to them. "Take the hint, she's not interested!"

"Is that because you want me all to yourself, dollface?" He yelled back, dancing over to her with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes and latched on to her friend's arm, turning them around to walk away. As she did so, the man drunkenly reached out and grabbed her ass making her stop dead in her tracks. Without thinking, she spun around and sent her fist flying, hitting him square in the face. She heard a sickening crunch and his hands immediately rose to his face to cup his nose.

''Ari, go back to the table, I've got this.''

Ariane muttered something unintelligible in response before darting off through the crowd. She quickly arrived back at the table, panic clear in her eyes. ''Some guy just grabbed Lex's ass so she punched him!"

''What?!''

''Seriously?''

Everyone turned towards the dance floor curiously, just able to see Alexa over in the corner. There was a tall man stood opposite her, hands cupping his nose as she cussed him out angrily.

''We should help her.'' Joe suggested, his eyes not leaving the scene.

Trinity snorted. ''Doesn't look like she needs much help.''

Alexa was glaring at the man in front of her as he stood, blood starting to drip through his fingers. ''What the fuck?''

She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him defiantly. ''What gives you the right to put your hands on me?''

''I was just having fun.'' He spat angrily, stepping towards her. ''You crazy fucking bitch!"

''_I'm_ crazy?!" She asked in disbelief, standing her ground as he moved closer.

Jon's eyes darkened in ire as he rose from his seat, starting to move around the table to go and intervene if needed.

''You know what, you're not even worth the calories I'm burning by talking to you.'' Alexa quipped before turning around to make her way back to the table. She didn't get very far, the man reached out and grabbed hold of her arm from behind, swinging her around and pulling her to him.

Jon didn't waste any time and instinctively started to march towards the dance floor, closely followed by the rest of the men of the group.

''I suggest you let go of me before I kick your ass.'' She warned, trying to pull herself out of his tight grasp.

''A little thing like you? I don't thin-''

She watched in amusement as the man let out a pained cry and dropped to the ground mid-sentance; one arm clutching at himself where she had driven her knee up into his crotch. The other rubbing his throat, where she had elbowed him, leaving the man coughing as he frantically tried to catch his breath.

Alexa turned around after briefly admiring her handiwork; only to pause when she found Jon, Joe, Colby, Ettore, Matt and the twins standing directly in front of her. ''Uh, hey, guys...''

"You alright?" Joe asked, concern clear on his features.

''I'm okay.'' She shrugged. ''I handled it."

Colby snorted and looked down to where the man was still wheezing on the floor. ''Obviously.''

''Thanks for coming to my rescue, guys."

Matt scoffed and smiled down at her. ''I think that guy was more in need of rescuing than you were.''

Ettore gave her a hearty pat on the back. ''I'll grab you a drink, we can celebrate your badass-ness.''

After double checking that she was alright, everyone else ambled off, leaving her alone with Jon. Avoiding his intense gaze, she glanced down at her knuckles which were slowly starting to swell.

''You need to ice that.''

She shook her head, flexing her hand in front of her. ''It's fine...''

''I've got to say, I'm a little turned on right now.''

Her eyes snapped up to his and she let out a surprised laugh. ''Seriously?''

Jon nodded slowly, stepping closer and invading her personal space. She felt his minty breath fan across her face as he spoke lowly. ''I was on my way over here to kick his ass for you, but you did it yourself... it was really hot.''

''And you call _me _a weirdo...''

He chuckled, lifting his hand to caress her face before guiding her face to his, gently brushing his lips over hers. Nibbling gently on her lower lip, he deepened the kiss briefly before pulling away.

Alexa let out a quiet whine. ''Fucking tease.''

''Payback for earlier.'' He drawled into her ear. ''Besides, it's not teasing if I plan on following it through.''


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N - A massive thank you to tatyasdias, ThatGirl54, UntilNeverDawns and ian87 for your reviews :)**

* * *

**Wednesday 10th August**

Alexa woke up cuddled against Jon, the Florida sun spilling in through her bedroom window. She was resting on her side, her head lying in the crook of his shoulder. Their legs were entwined under the duvet and his arm was wrapped around her, his strong hand resting on her hip. Not wanting to wake him, she softly skimmed her fingers across his chest, feeling it expanding underneath her hand with each slow breath he took. Glancing up, she allowed herself a small smile, finding him fast asleep with a peaceful expression on his handsome face.

"You know how fucking creepy it is to watch people sleep, right?" Jon's sleepy voice interrupted her musings, his arm pulling her body flush against his.

''It's pretty rare that you've got your mouth shut, I wanted to enjoy the moment.'' She grinned up at him.

"Whatever, creeper."

''Asshole.''

Placing a soft kiss on his cheek, she shifted away from him towards the edge of the bed, intending to get out. Jon's arm immediately curled around her waist, easily pulling her back towards him. She landed on top of his chest with a laugh and lightly ran her hands over his shoulders, feeling a couple of deep scars under her fingertips.

''We should get up.''

''Nope.''

Before she knew what was happening, Jon had her pinned underneath him as his lips started to attack her neck.

''Jon-''

He quickly silenced her by moving his lips from her neck to her mouth. Her arms tightened around him as he pressed her further into the material of the bed. She moaned deep in her throat as Jon ran his hand along her thigh, stopping short of where she wanted him to touch her the most. Her back arched off the bed as his mouth trailed down her chest and he flicked his tongue against her nipple, another moan escaping her lips.

_**I've got another confession to make, I'm your fool. Everyone's got their chains to break, Holdin' you.**_

Alexa groaned as her cellphone rang, the Foo Fighter's song echoing loudly throughout the room. Jon ignored it and carried on lavishing attention to her chest.

_**Were you born to resist or be abused? Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you? **_

Letting out a dramatic groan she reluctantly pushed Jon away and reached her arm out to grab it, but ended up knocking the lamp to the floor.

''Motherfucker...''

_**Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?**_

Second time lucky, she managed to grasp the cell in her hand and hold it up to her ear as she flopped back down.

''Yo.''

_''Did I wake you?'' _Darren's voice emerged from the speaker.

"No, no, I was awake already." Alexa replied, her eyes meeting Jon's as he started to run his hands up her thighs. ''What's up?''

_''I just wanted to remind you about the meeting later today, the one you said you would be attending.''_

''Okay... Um, just to jog my memory, which meeting would this be again?'' She bit her lip to smother a moan, Jon's mouth was on her ear, his tongue teasing her earlobe.

_''The meeting where we'll be going over the schedules for the next few TV tapings. I believe some of the girls wanted you there to help them plan some of their matches.''_

Jon had moved down to her neck, and his fingers were probing her more intimate areas making it almost impossible to concentrate. ''Um, sure, yeah, that's fine... What time's the meeting?''

_''4 o'clock.''_

''Okay. I'll see you there. Bye.'' She threw her phone across the bed before pouncing on Jon.

* * *

Alexa rushed down the hall towards the meeting room, hoping they hadn't started without her. She had spent most of the day in bed with Jon, and they had lost track of time. He had left her place an hour ago, planning to head straight here while she took a shower and got ready.

Not bothering to knock, she turned the handle and barged into the room. The door swung open with more force than she had anticipated and slammed into the adjacent wall with a loud bang. She cringed as everyone turned to look at her, her cheeks flushing red in embarrassment.

''Sorry I'm late... I, uh, overslept.''

''It's four thirty in the afternoon...'' Darren furrowed his brows. ''Not to worry, Steve isn't here yet anyway.''

"Argh!" Colby gasped in mock-horror as she took the empty seat beside him. "Why aren't you wearing make-up? My eyes are burning!"

"You're such a dick." She punched his shoulder lightly. "I know I look like shit. I really don't need reminding.''

''Did you not get enough sleep last night, Lex?'' Jon looked at her innocently as she turned to face him.

''Lex, how's your hand?!" Matt called from the opposite side of the room, saving her from thinking of a response.

After proudly showing off her bruised knuckles, the nickname 'Rocky' was bestowed upon her by the guys, much to her amusement.

* * *

Almost an hour later, she could feel her eyelids slowly slipping closed when she was elbowed sharply in the ribs by Colby. She grunted softly, instantly straightening up and paying attention to Steve Keirn. He was going over the women's matches for the following evenings taping as well as the ones planned for the next couple of weeks.

Živilė 'Aksana' Raudonienė had a singles match against Ashley 'Audrey Marie' Miller. There was a mixed tag team match involving Ashley and Irena 'Leah West' Janjic, with Matt 'Mike Dalton' Clement and Matt 'Mack Hetfield' Hannen as their respective partners. Karlee 'Maxine' Perez would be teaming with Živilė to take on Ariane and Trinity as well as April and Celeste.

Steve smiled widely as he turned towards the women. ''Now, Tom's away for a while and Alexa's kindly agreed to help you guys put your matches together. Make the most of her expertise, she knows what it takes to be in the big leagues so she knows what she's talking about.''

''Pfft.''

Turning to find the source of the noise, Alexa rose an eyebrow when she found Irena staring over at her with an unimpressed look on her face. ''Problem?''

''Yes, actually.'' She told her, annoyance clear in her eyes as she turned to Steve. ''I think it's a bit insulting to assume that any of us need help putting a match together, especially from her.''

''I don't understand.'' Steve said, the young woman's attitude leaving him flabbergasted.

''Well, it's obvious that she only did as well as she did because she was screwing Orton.'' She explained nonchalantly before meeting the other woman's eyes. ''And, I don't know about anybody else, but I'd rather get by on my own merits than by whose bed I'm warming.''

There was a long, uncomfortable silence as everyone tried to get over their initial shock at what had just come out of the woman's mouth. Several people glanced over towards Alexa warily, trying to gauge her reaction.

On the outside, she was the epitome of calm and composed. Inside, however, she was beyond angry. ''You have _no_ idea what you're talking about.''

''Oh, I'm just repeating what I've heard.'' Irena gave her a sympathetic smile which didn't quite reach her eyes. ''Besides, it seemed a little 'convenient' you got injured right after Orton dumped you, never to be seen again.''

Alexa let out an incredulous laugh making everyone eye her nervously. ''You know, I might actually care what you think... if I knew who the hell you were. Maybe if you put more effort into your wrestling than you do into running your mouth, you might actually make more of an impact around here.'' She commented, hearing a few muffled laughs from around the room.

''Well, I've obviously hit a nerve. Just because everybody thinks you're a whore, don't take it out on me.''

Tears sprang to her eyes at the harsh comment and she took a deep breath to calm her down, biting her tongue so she wouldn't say anything that she would regret later. Turns out, she didn't have to say anything because somebody quickly jumped to her defence.

''Listen to me, young lady. Alexandra has been through a lot and worked harder than most to get where she is today, her past relationships had absolutely _nothing _to do with it. Jealousy will get you nowhere in this business. I suggest you lose your attitude and learn some respect.''

Everyone gaped at Darren in surprise for a few moments, before Steve stood and cleared his throat. ''Right, I think this meeting's over... Irena, my office. I think we need a little chat.''

* * *

**Sunday 11th September**

''Who's that guy over there with Colby?''

''Oh, that's the new guy that's just been signed; Claudio Castagnoli. I think they know each other from their Ring of Honor days.''

''I thought I recognized him...'' Alexa muttered befored returned her attention to the practice ring, where Joe, Ettore and Matt were horsing around.

''So when's your flight?'' Trinity asked, before taking another bite of her pizza.

''Tomorrow afternoon. I tried to get on the same one as Karlee, April and Darren but I left it too late.''

The trio had flown out to Toronto that morning, all of them due to appear on NXT which would be filmed just before Smackdown on Tuesday. Darren would be commentating, as usual, while the two women had a match against each other.

''Excited?''

She scoffed. ''Nervous. I haven't been in front of a live crowd that huge in years.''

Trinity chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. ''Gril, you'll be fine. It's not like you've got a match, you've just got to walk down the ramp and say a few words.''

Alexa's lips curled into a soft smile at the other woman's reassurance. They had spent a lot of time together recently, after Trinity had come to her and asked for some help to improve some of her in-ring skills. Once they had got over the initial 'getting to know you' stage, they had really hit it off.

After a while, Trinity left to head home, leaving Alexa to munch away at the pizza whilst watching the men in the ring. She wasn't alone for very long, with Colby and his friend eventually wandering over in her direction.

''Hey.'' She greeted, sending them a warm smile.

''Hey. Lex, this is Claudio.'' He jerked his thumb towards the man standing beside him. ''Claudio, this is Lex... she's a little weird, but you get used to it.''

She stuck her tongue out at him before turning her gaze to the tall man standing beside him. ''Nice to meet you Claudio. I've seen a lot of your Ring of Honor matches, you're pretty great.''

''Oh, thank you, that's really nice of you to say.''

''When did you see his matches?'' Colby asked.

''When I was in my neck brace I couldn't do a lot, I literally watched wrestling videos on YouTube the whole time.''

''Yeah right, I bet you spent most of it watching porn.''

''Don't judge everyone by your own standards, Jon.'' She rolled her eyes and turned to face the newcomer. ''Besides, who needs porn when I can just look in the mirror?''

Colby snorted and shook his head, turning to his old friend. ''See what I mean?''

She just flipped him off and grabbed a slice of pizza from the box next to her. An indignant cry left her lips as it was snatched out of her hand just before it reached her lips. ''Jon!"

He looked down at her, his mouth full of pizza. "What?"

"Jesus, Jon, swallow." Her face screwed up in disgust.

He smirked. "That's what she said."

''You really need to stop eating so much crap, Lex.'' Colby admonished, looking down at the half-eaten pizza disdainfully.

''Sorry, Dad...''

''Don't listen to him, you look just fine the way you are.''

She beamed up at the Swiss. ''Thank you, Claudio.''

''Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that. You look great, Lex. It's just not good for you, that's all.''

''Do I get a bonus point if I act like I care?'' She cocked her eyebrow.

Claudio and Jon started to snigger as Colby let out an exasperated huff. ''Fine. When your ass balloons to the size of a bouncy castle, don't come crying to me.''

She fixed him with a defiant look before picking up a slice, the three men watching in morbid fascination as she shoved the entire thing in her mouth. It took her a few minutes to chew through the pizza before she finally managed to swallow it. ''I'm not ashamed of myself. I'm not, but I should be.''

Colby looked horrified, Claudio had an eyebrow raised and the hint of a smile on his face while Jon looked down at her with an impressed grin. ''You're fucking awesome.''

His hand moved towards her face and he used his finger to wipe some tomato sauce from the corner of her mouth. Alexa's mouth dropped open as he put the finger in his mouth, before smirking mischievously at her.

''Okay, this is getting weird.'' Colby muttered uncomfortably.

''Ring's free!" Matt's voice carried over to them.

''My turn.'' Alexa declared as she jumped to her feet. ''Lopez? Want another ass-kicking?''

''I'll pass, thanks.'' He replied drolly.

''Come on.'' Jon cocked his head towards the ring. ''I'll go easy on you.''

She shot him an impish grin. ''Where's the fun in that?''

Colby and Claudio took up seats beside Joe, Matt and Ettore as the pair climbed inside the ring.

"You sure you're up for this, sweetheart?" Jon drawled.

''Are you?'' She countered, her hands reached down to the hem of her hoody and started to yank it up; revealing an expanse of smooth, bronze skin.

"Whooo! Yeah, take it off!"

Alexa rolled her eyes and flipped Colby the bird, tossing the discarded item to the side, glancing up to find Jon's lecherous gaze on her chest. She adjusted the straps of her sports bra before holding her arms up in front of her in the guard position.

When he didn't make a move, she decided to lunge at him, which he easily dodged and moved around behind her. Quickly grabbing her arm, he maneuvered her into position and locked in an abdominal stretch. She groaned, trying to struggle out of it, but his grip was too strong.

"Tap, bitch!" He demanded playfully.

''C'mon, Lex!" Joe hollered from opposite them.

She continued to struggle against his hold, letting out several grunts of frustration when she couldn't. ''Fuck!"

''Be quiet and take it like a good girl."

Alexa glared up at him pointedly. ''I can take it like a good girl... but I'm never quiet about it."

His smirk quickly vanished and she used the distraction to swing her leg back, catching him hard in the shin. Surprise forced him to release her, and she quickly took a few steps back.

''Is this like foreplay for them or something?''

Colby guffawed and turned to give the Swiss man an amused look. ''Dude, they're not together.''

Claudio looked dubiously at the pair in the ring. ''Really?''

''I have to admit, I was thinking the same...'' Matt piped up.

Joe shook his head. ''They're just good friends.''

Jon and Alexa lunged towards each other simultaneously, locking up in the middle of the ring. She leaned sideways, tangling her feet around his and expertly taking him down to the mat. The unexpected fall knocked the wind from his lungs and, before he could moved, she locked in her variation of the Muta lock; with her arms stretched under his and hands locked together under his chin.

''Tap, bitch!"

He growled when laughter from the guys reached his ears, his own comment from earlier being used against him. He stubbornly refused to tap and after a few minutes, her arms started to falter from the strain, enabling him to power out of the hold.

They went to grab each other again, Jon ducked under her arm and wrenched it around her back. Spinning around and dropping down to the mat, he easily dragged her over the top of him. She let out a gasp as she landed hard on her back, her arm still caught in Jon's tight grasp as she looked up at his smug grin.

Her eyes narrowed before she kipped up and untwisted her arm from his grip. Quickly dropping down to the mat, she extending her legs and swept his out from under him. He fell back, landing on his ass in a rather undignified way as a scowl appeared on his face.

Alexa scrambled to her feet, grinning when she saw his frustrated expression; seeing him lose his cool was adorable.

''You're going to have to kick his ass without an audience, Lex.''

She turned to pout at Joe, who was making his way towards the exit with the others. ''You guys are leaving?''

''Yeah, it's getting late.''

''Okay, I guess I'll see you all when I get back. Try not to miss me too much.''

''That won't be difficult.'' Ettore teased.

Colby snorted. ''Yea, we'll be making the most of the peace and quiet.''

They all headed out after saying their goodbyes, and she turned back to face Jon. ''Ready to admit defeat yet, hot stuff?''

''You're asking for trouble...''

Alexa responded with a wink, causing the man to let out a husky growl before running at her. She just about managed to duck under his outstretched arm and ran forwards into the ropes, bouncing back towards him. Just before they made contact, she jumped up high with her legs spread apart and he ran under them. Spinning around as he ran back in her direction, she ducked down and used his momentum against him, flipping him over her head. He caught her hips as he slammed down behind her, and before she knew it, he executed a sunset-flip.

He sat up and leaned over her, pinning her by pressing her legs up either side of her chest. His weight pressed down on her and she bit her lip as she looked up at him; he was breathing hard and his deep blue eyes were full of fire, she had never been more turned on in her life.

Alexa reached up and grabbed his head, pulling him towards her and crashing her lips against his. His grip on her legs vanished and he planted his hands on the mat either side of her head to support himself. She hooked her legs around his waist to pull him closer, letting out a soft moan when his hips thrust against hers.

''Does this mean I win?'' He rasped, starting to trail kisses down her neck.

''No...'' She arched her back into him as his teeth scraped across her throat. Throwing her legs sideways, she flipped them over so she was resting on his hips. ''_I_ win.''

His hands ran over her thighs, trailing slowly up her waist as she bent down to kiss him again. She pulled back just before their lips met and pushed herself up into a standing position. Looking down at the man laying between her legs, she chuckled at his put-out expression. ''Come on, stud. Maybe we can both _win _back at my place.''


	14. Chapter 14

**Tuesday 13th September**

''I think I'm going to hurl...''

Alexa was standing in the gorilla position with Jason, her eyes locked on a nearby monitor as she watched Adam make his way down to the ring.

''Don't be such a sissy. God, Judy's acting cooler than you.''

''Thanks for the sympathy, Jay.'' She murmured, glancing over to the curtain and finding he was right; Adam's mother was happily chatting away to Terry 'Rhyno' Gerin, showing no sign of nerves whatsoever.

The Canadian beside her rolled his eyes, bumping her with his shoulder. ''Seriously, you'll be fine. It's not like it's live, who cares?''

''I care, asshole.'' She bumped him back, a small smile on her face as she watched Adam address the crowd.

* * *

_''I'm sure you guys are probably sick of seeing me by now...''_

_''Nah.'' Trish disagreed._

_''I, uh, I don't know what an appreciation night is, I have to admit, I feel a little awkward and I feel a little weird and I feel a little shy... I, uh, I don't deserve all of this stuff... I just... uh... it's weird... Thank you! I mean, I appreciate it and all, but, I don't know what to say...''_

* * *

''He's totally going to cry tonight.'' Jason laughed.

She glanced sideways at him, letting out a snort. ''Probably, I've got money on you getting weepy too.''

''You bet on my tears?''

''Sure did, Captain Charisma.'' She teased. ''Don't let me down.''

A 'Thank You Edge' chant started to echo through the arena, making goosebumps rise over her skin.

* * *

_''Well, thank all of you. And thank you, Trish. Uh, I remember Trish coming up to me at an autograph session that I had, and she asked me; How do I do this thing? How do I get into the WWE? How do I become a wrestler?''_

_''How do I become you?'' Trish added with a grin._

_''And I just thought... damn, she's hot! That's pretty much all I thought.''_

_''Yeah, you didn't really give me an answer, you just kind of stared at me!"_

* * *

''Why do I have to wait 'til last? Wouldn't it make more sense to get me out-of-the-way first?'' Alexa asked as a stagehand brought over a microphone for Jason.

''We debated doing that but we thought, no offence, that it might kind of overshadow the rest of the night.''

''Dude, Bret-fucking-Hart's here, like anybody's going to be able to top that!"

Jason chuckled. ''That's true. But we figured that you were most likely to get the biggest response from the crowd... hence, you're last.''

''Fine.'' She grumbled.

They shared a quick hug before he walked over to the curtain to join Adam's mom and friends, ready for their cue.

* * *

_The Edge tribute video package aired and the camera zoomed back onto the blonde, who was crying. Another 'THANK YOU EDGE' chant started up and his teary smile was caught by the camera._

_''I don't know if you really want to get that close... uh, I didn't really know they were going to do that, so, sorry... I didn't plan on crying out here, damn it. Ah... I don't know what to say... I really don't.''_

_He was saved from having to say anything as Christian's entrance music hit, the man appearing at the top of the ramp a few seconds later._

_''Just want to say something real quick; I know you've seen Edge and I bickering a little bit lately. But that's the thing that I respect most about Edge, and I think that he respects about me, that we're closer than friends... we're brothers. And we're completely one hundred percent honest with each other, all the time, whether we want to hear it or not. And that's the great thing about our relationship. That being said, I thought a great way to, uh, appreciate Edge, on Edge Appreciation Night, would be to round-up some people who are very close in his life... and I'd like to bring those people out right now. First and foremost, the cornerstone of Adam's life; the person that taught him the most about hard work... Adam, I have to call him Adam in this situation, I'm sorry, uh... he came from very humble beginnings and he's, uh, worked for every single thing that he has. You need to know that... But it was also because of this person, that worked her finger to the bone, two, three jobs at a time... to make sure that he realized his dream... Judy Copeland... Adam's mother... I'd like to bring her out here right now. So, Mrs. Copeland, come on out.''_

_The the older woman walk out onto the stage, giving Jason a one-armed hug. The audience started up a 'THANK YOU MOM' chant as Adam laughed from inside the ring. ''Yeah, thank you, mom!"_

* * *

''You're looking a little nervous.''

Alexa started as an unexpected voice sounded, her eyes widened when she turned around. Bret 'The Hitman' Hart was standing right in front of her. ''Holy shitballs...''

His lips quirked in amusement. "Fan?"

''Yeah...'' She felt a blush start to work its way up her face. ''Sorry.''

''Don't be. It's always nice to meet fans.''

Her eyes flicked back to the screen where Jason had introduced some of Adam's old friends, and they were making their way down to the ring. Adam greeted each one with tight hug, the raw emotion clear to see on his face.

* * *

_''Just real quick, I know I'm taking up a lot of time here. I just have one more thing to say to Edge, and that's... look, nobody knows more than me and I think we already heard you say it, that, you know, you're no comfortable with these kind of things... these kind of things they make Edge feel very uncomfortable, but there's a reason that every single person stayed here well after the show was over tonight. There's a reason that every single superstar back there is glued to the monitor. It's because Edge Appreciation Night is something that you're earned... it means the respect that your peers, the fans, not just here in Toronto, but all over the world, have for you... because of what you did inside this ring. The fact that you left it in this ring every single night, and you managed to stay the same, humble human being that you always were. The entire time you never changed. And I also want to say that... I mean, there's a lot more that I want to say but I'm just forgetting it right now, but... I just want to say that nobody appreciated you more than me. That I love you. That I know, without you, I wouldn't be standing here today. And the whether in the WWE or not, I will always be your biggest fan... I want you to know that.''_

* * *

Alexa watched, tearing up herself, as Jason's voice started to break and the two men shared an emotional hug in the centre of the ring.

''That's my cue, guess I'll see you out there.'' Bret smiled before moving over to the curtain, joining Sweet Daddy Siki, who was waiting for him.

* * *

_Trish stepped towards Adam in the ring, raising the microphone to her lips. ''And we have someone else we want to bring out. Another Canadian that showed us that we, as Canadians, can go out there and do it around the world... The best there is. The best there was and the best there ever will be! Bret Hart!"_

_The Hitman made his way down to the ring, alongside Sweet Daddy Siki, the crowd giving him a roaring ovation. Adam greeted Bret with a quick hug before wrapping his former trainer up in a longer one, the two men sharing a few words before Bret grabbed a microphone._

_''I just want to say, I remember meeting Edge on the Dini Petty Show, so many years ago. He was just a little, skinny kid. And, uh, you know, I remember him very clearly that day and it doesn't surprise me at all when I look at you today and see all the things that you achieved, all the great accomplishments that you've made in this industry. You really raised the bar for so many of us. And you know, I remember Edge, he was so hungry and he really wanted it so bad... to be the great wrestler that he's become, just looking at you I know that you're a man who lived his dream. And, uh, look at him, ten times WWE World Champion, that says it all. That's, uh, hell, I can't even come close to that. Not even if you throw in WCW, I still can't claim ten World Titles. But, this is a very special night, it's a very special night for Canadian's, it's a very special night for wrestling fans all around the world, it's a special night for people from Toronto! This is what we've been waiting for. A chance to say thank you for everything you've done and thank you for all the leadership skills, and the hard work... I can't think of another wrestler that left it on the field or left it in the ring more than you did. You were, you were something to watch, but I know that this is not the end, I see great things coming for you down the road. And I just hope that somehow... I have a lot of experience having your career end on a bad note... I went through the same thing, but the truth is... the reason that you're not going to have any problems going through the future is because you've always been on the edge, that's why you are the edge, and that you always lived on the edge... but you have so much to say, so many things going for you that I don't have any doubts in my mind that this is just one more moment in a moment of greats, you're going to have greatness follow you for the rest of your life. I'll wrap it up on that note, uh, it's a pleasure to be here, it's a pleasure for me to bring the Sweet Daddy Siki here... he had a lot to do with Edge getting his start in the beginning of his career. When I met Edge and Christian, I kind of brought them up to Calgary and I started teaching them in my house and people say that I helped get your career started, but the truth is, you didn't need any help from me. You were going to make it all on your own. I think I told you that a long time ago. In saying that, you were always the best in class, you were always the best one in the whole bunch and I'm really proud of you and I think... I don't know what else to say to add onto that, but... you are the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be!"_

* * *

''Miss. Torres, you're up next.''

Alexa took the microphone from the man with a smile, quietly thanking him before taking in a deep breath and walking over to the curtain. Feeling a buzz come from the pocket of her jeans, she quickly pulled her phone out and opened up the message.

_**Knock 'em dead, sweetcheeks - Jon.**_

Her lips curled into a smile, wondering how he knew exactly what to say and when to say it to make her feel better. She slipped it back into her pocket and listened to Trish as she started her introduction.

* * *

_''Now... there is one more person who wanted to come here and appreciate you today, Edge. Someone who you know very well... She managed to weasel her way into our backstage Canadian Club, despite only being half-Canadian... some of you fans here might remember her... Sierra!"_

_Headstrong__ by Trapt suddenly blasted through the speakers, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The cheers were deafening as Alexa stepped through the curtain, doubling in volumes when she appeared at the top of the ramp. Grinning, she threw her arm up in the air in acknowledgement of their support before making her way down to the ring._

_As soon as she had climbed into the ring, she made a beeline for Adam, who pulled her into a tight hug. Stepping back, she laughed at his surprised grin and raised the microphone to her lips._

_''Surprise!''_

_She wasn't able to say anything else, a SIERRA chant hitting the arena which was too loud for her to talk over. It eventually died down and Adam laughed, before glaring at her in mock-anger._

_''Hey, stop stealing my thunder!"_

_''Sorry, thanks guys... but seriously, tonight's all about Adam and I just wanted to come here tonight to say a few words. Hopefully I won't bore you to death! Uh... I first met Adam way back in 2004, on my very first night on Raw. I was a huge Edge and Christian fan before coming to the WWE so I was super excited to meet him, and he didn't disappoint. I was also lucky enough to get to work with him quite a bit, which was amazing... I really learnt a lot and I loved every second of it... Now, there's no doubt about it, Adam's an amazing wrestler and performer, I don't need to tell you all that. But what you don't know... is that he's an even better friend. Adam and Jay became like the two, annoying older brothers that I never wanted... The three of us were constantly pulling pranks on each other backstage, which, I think, got on a lot of people's nerves... but it was all in good fun. So, I know that the way you've been forced to retire sucks... it really sucks... but my dad used to tell me that sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives, put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us... So, whatever you decide to do next, I think it's going to be just as awesome.'' _

_She lowered the microphone, stepping into Adam's outstretched arms and wrapping him in a tight embrace. ''You're a sneaky bitch, why didn't you tell me you were coming?'' He whispered into her hair._

_''And miss the look on your face, not a chance!" _

_After Alexa had said her piece, the entire roster had gone out to the ring, giving Adam a well-deserved standing ovation. After messing around with some of the superstars and hijacking a camera from the camera-man in the ring, Adam and Jason did one last five-second-pose before Adam made his way up the ramp with him mom. They did his classic rocker pose together at the top of the ramp before walking backstage, tears running down the man's face._

* * *

''I'm getting some serious déjà vu here...''

Alexa grinned as she looked around the room, the scene bringing back memories from her early years with the WWE. Adam, Jason, Trish and herself were all sitting around one of the empty locker rooms they had found in the arena. A lot of the production staff were still milling around, getting everything from the show packed up and loaded into the trailers. Most of the superstars had left; either heading to the airport to catch a flight home or back to the hotel.

''Totally... it's just like old times.'' Jason nodded, a nostalgic smile on his face.

Alexa smirked over at him. ''Yeah, the only difference being everyone has a few more wrinkles.''

Adam snorted, giving her a quick once-over. ''Except you, you practically look the same as you did back when you first started.''

''Bitch.'' Trish joked.

''I still can't get used to you not being around, man.'' Jason said softly. ''It's really weird.''

The self-proclaimed Rated R Superstar sent him over a small smile. ''I know, dude... Lex will be back on the road with you soon, they you'll have her to annoy.''

''Yeah.'' She nodded, smiling over at her friend. ''Hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later.''

Their conversation was halted by a sharp knock at the door, followed by Darren poking his head in. ''Sorry to interrupt.''

Adam grinned. ''No problem, man, what's up?''

The Brit smiled, swinging the door opened to reveal a small group of superstars, all carrying several bottles of alcohol. ''The arena staff said that we could stay here as long as we like, so we thought we'd have a little send off for you...''

* * *

_I miss you... sorry, that was my vagina._

''Who are you texting?''

Alexa quickly hid the message that she had just sent to Jon, planting an innocent smile on her face as she glanced up at Trish. ''Nobody...''

The Canadian narrowed her eyes and swiped the phone from the other woman's grasp, quickly opening up the message. ''Lex!" She cried, her eyes widening. ''Who's Jon?!"

She huffed and snatched the phone back, slipping it inside her pocket. ''Just a friend.''

''Who's just a friend?''

Trish smirked, shooting Beth a sideways look. ''Some guy called Jon who, I think, has regular access to Lex's lady parts.''

''Oh my God.'' Alexa flushed, feeling mortified as she buried her face in her hands.

''So I'm right?'' Trish asked, laughing as the two women took up seats beside her on the bench.

''Come on, spill.'' Beth encouraged.

Alexa sighed and glanced around.

Adam and Jason were in the corner of the room, surrounded by Zack 'Matt Cardona' Ryder, Ron 'R-Truth' Killings and Mike 'The Miz' Mizanin as they re-told some of their experiences. On the opposite side of the room, T.J. 'Tyson Kidd' Wilson, Stephen 'Sheamus' Farrelly, Stuart 'Wade Barrett' Bennett, Nattie 'Natalya' Neidhart and Darren were doing the same.

Happy that nobody would be able to overhear them, she turned to the two women. ''I met Jon down at FCW and we became really good friends. I guess somewhere along the way we started to like each other, but neither of us want a relationship.''

''So, you're doing the whole 'friends with benefits' deal?'' Beth quirked an eyebrow.

Trish shook her head, a concerned look spreading across her face. ''Lex, are you sure that's a good idea?''

''Probably not, but when has that ever stopped me.''

''Just be careful. Personally, I don't think that kind of thing ever works.''

Beth nodded in agreement. ''Yeah, the second that someone feels something more for the other person... everything starts getting messy.''

''I know, I-''

Her phone buzzed and she quickly yanked it out of her pocket, pulling up the message.

_**Let me know when you're back... I won't stop until your legs are shaking and your neighbors know my name...**_

Alexa bit her lip, feeling her cheeks heat up.

Trish let out a snort. ''I don't think I even want to know what that says.''

Beth laughed as the younger woman's face went bright red. ''I don't know, I'm kind of curious now, it's not like Lex to blush.''

A knock on the door cut through the room and her response died on her lips when she looked up and found Randy lurking in the doorway, staring right at her. ''Uh, sorry to interrupt guys. Can I steal you for a sec, Lex?''

Jason stood and moved into the centre of the room. ''Is now really the time, Randy?''

''It'll only take a second, I promise.''

''It's fine, Jay.'' Alexa sighed and reluctantly stood, stalking over to the doorway. ''I won't be long.'' Making sure to leave the door open slightly, she followed Randy out into the hallway, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked up at him expectantly. ''What do you want?''

He shifted uncomfortably before finally meeting her eyes. ''Firstly, I just wanted to apologize for what happened the last time we saw each other... I didn't mean for you to get hurt, if I knew you were behind me, I would never have-''

''What about before that, huh?'' She interjected angrily. ''You know, when you had me pinned up against the wall? Did you mean to do that?''

''I know it's not an excuse, but I'd had a lot to drink... I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry.''

''Fine.'' She shrugged. ''Is that all?''

He sighed, letting out a huff of frustration. ''You're never going to forgive me, are you?''

''You know what, maybe we should stay friends...''

''Really?''

''No! Go fuck yourself!'' An incredulous snort escaped her lips. ''After everything you did to me, you actually expect me to forgive you? Were you dropped on your head as an infant, or were you just born stupid?''

''Listen, Lex-''

''No. _You _listen.'' She demanded, her eyes gleaming with angry tears. ''I loved you and I thought you loved me. You didn't even have the fucking balls to tell me yourself, I had to find out through the dirt sheets. You completely fucked me over, Randy. Do you have any idea how it feels? Knowing that you aren't even worth the truth from the one person you trust most in the world? It fucking killed me...''

''I'm sorry.''

She ignored him, everything that she had been feeling the past few years coming pouring out of her mouth. ''And I've even been defending you! Everyone said that because of you, my head wasn't in the match that night and blamed you for my accident. But I stuck up for you... even though, deep down, there's a little part of me that agrees with them.''

''You think I don't know that! I've blamed myself ever since it happened! You don't know how hard it was, having to watch you go through that, knowing I couldn't be there for you.''

''_I _don't know how hard it was?! You've got a fucking nerve. If you cared so much, where were you? Huh? Nothing was stopping you from visiting me. I didn't get so much as a fucking phone call to see how I was.''

''I didn't think you'd want to hear from me.''

''Well, you were wrong. Even after everything you'd done, I still loved you... but you turned your back on me... and when you didn't call or visit, it just made it so much easier for me to move on. You too, apparently, since you got married and all... How is Samantha?''

His eyes flashed dangerously. ''Lex, don't.''

''Don't what? Don't bring your _wife _into it? I hope she knows what she's letting herself in for... the cheating, the alcohol...the drugs... does she know about that?'' She stood her ground as he stepped towards her, the muscles in his jaw clenching angrily. ''I stuck by you through everything... fuck, the amount of times I covered for you with Vince because you were too high to go out and have your match... if it wasn't for me, you would have been fired years ago.''

''That's all in the past. I'm clean now, have been for a while.''

''Good, and for the sake of your daughter, I really hope it stays that way.'' Alexa told him honestly. ''But that doesn't magically fix everything between us.''

''I know that.''

''You know, I used to think that I needed you... but I finally realized the only person I ever needed was myself.''

''Lex-''

''And, just so you know, the only reason I haven't answered any questions about _us _in interviews, is because of her... When she grows up, and can read all about you on the internet or whatever... I don't want to be the one responsible for her finding out what her father's really like.''

Alexa's stormy eyes remained locked on his for a few seconds before she went to step around him, planning on heading back to the locker room. His arm reached out and grabbed onto her upper arm, halting her movement and she let out a heavy sigh.

''Let go, Randy.'' She spoke softly.

''I just... don't want us to leave things like this.''

''You don't get to decide. Now, either you let go of my arm, or I'll do what I've been dying to do for the past three years.''

''Please, Lex-''

Alexa soon found herself standing over Randy, in a scene almost identical to the one at the club several nights ago. As soon as he knee had connected with his groin, he had released her arm and dropped straight to the ground, cupping himself as his face screwed up in pain.

''Uh... everything okay?''

She looked up, finding Adam's concerned face peering around the door frame. ''Yeah.'' Her eyes moved down to the man on the floor. ''I think we're done here.''


	15. Chapter 15

**Thursday 15th September**

''That was...''

''Uh-huh...''

Jon had made good on his promise and they now lay in a sweaty tangle of limbs, her head resting on his chest as he idly ran his fingers through her hair.

''So, how was the show, you get booed?''

Alexa rolled her eyes and prodded him gently in the ribs. ''_No_. I got a pretty loud cheer actually, it was awesome.''

''I bet... are they going to be showing it on TV?''

''I don't know, I'm sure it'll appear on the internet at some point though.''

He nodded, glancing down at her. ''Anything else happen?''

''I met Bret Hart!" She exclaimed, suddenly remembering the awkward encounter. ''I made a complete idiot of myself, as per usual, but he was nice about it... all I have to do now is meet Roddy Piper and my life will be complete!"

Jon snorted at her excitement. ''You're a Piper fan?''

''Huge! I had the biggest crush on him when I was younger... I think it was the kilt...'' She quickly reached up, placing a finger over his lips as he was about to speak. ''Before you say anything, yes, I'm aware that I'm a weirdo... thank you.''

He smiled down at her before grabbing her hand and placing a tender kiss on her fingers. ''I wouldn't have you any other way.''

''Good to know.'' She spoke softly, laying her head back on his chest as he kept hold of her hand, tracing soft patterns over the lines of her palm. ''I, uh, also had a little run-in with Randy...''

His movements faltered slightly as she spoke. ''What happened?''

''He's delusional. He thought we could put everything behind us and be friends or something... we argued, he grabbed my arm, and I may, or may not, have kicked him in the balls.''

Jon laughed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. ''Good. He's a dick.''

''Understatement of the year.''

''The last time you saw him, you came back with bruises all over your face and arms.'' He started softly. ''You just said he grabbed you the other night... did he ever hit you, back when you were together?''

''There were times when I thought he might, usually whenever he was high... but no, he never hit me.''

''I'd heard a few things about his drug problems, wasn't sure if any of it was true though.''

She let out a wry laugh. ''Oh, it's true. The stuff that's been documented is only the half of it, the reality was much worse... steroids, weed, sleeping pills... I got back to our hotel room one night and found him... he'd overdosed and stopped breathing... it was rough.''

''Why did you stay with him?''

''I loved him.''

Jon tentatively broke the silence that had fallen over them. ''I had a drug problem... back in my early twenties. I was wrestling in Puerto Rico, which was pretty decent money. Being so young and having so much extra cash in a place like that... just lead to me popping pills and taking a shit load of drugs. I lost a ton of weight, I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't eating... Honestly, I'm surprised I'm still alive...''

''How did you get out of it?''

''I came home... cleaned myself up. I got turned down by Johnny Ace for a developmental contract because I'd lost so much weight... but then I built myself back up and made something of myself in the indies before finally getting this WWE contract... so in the end, I guess it all worked out.''

''What's that saying...'' She murmured, watching the gentle rise and fall of his broad chest. ''Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places.''

* * *

**Thursday 13th October**

''Yes!"

''Okay, that's it. I don't know how, but she's cheating. Nobody can be that attractive and this good at a video game.''

''Don't be such a sore loser, Pollinsky.''

''Yeah dude, it's not her fault you suck.''

Alexa laughed at the sour expression on the man's face as he glared over at Joe, who was watching from the other side of the room. The two men had been going over their match for the TV tapings that night when she had joined them. Somehow their conversation had turned to video games which lead to their impromptu game in the lounge room of the building.

''Best of three?''

* * *

Jon paused as he walked down the hallway of the FCW arena, yanking his headphones form his ears and hearing loud laughter as he passed one of the rooms. He took a few steps back and glanced through the doorway.

Alexa and Matt were perched on the small couch playing WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 on the Playstation. They were both laughing as he shoulder barged her in an attempt to throw her off, while Joe was chucking from his seat in the corner.

An irrational feeling of jealousy awakened in him as he watched the pair interact before he quickly shook it off, reminding himself he had no reason to feel that way. ''What's going on?'' He asked, leaning into the room.

Joe glanced over at him, amusement shining in his eyes. ''Lex keeps beating Matt.''

''Really, Matt? Beaten by a girl...''

''Didn't you get beaten up by said girl last week in the ring?'' He shot back, not taking his eyes off the screen.

Alexa turned, sending a smug smirk his way as Matt leaned over and pressed all the buttons on her controller. Her head snapped back to the television just in time to see herself get pinned, her mouth falling open in outrage. Matt raised his arms in victory and she dropped her controller, moving over to put him in a headlock.

''You fucker!"

The other two men laughed as they watched them grapple on the couch, before another body appeared beside Jon in the doorway. ''What have I told you about manhandling the talent, Alexandra.''

''It's okay, Darren, I don't mind...''

Alexa's eyebrows furrowed and she glanced down, finding that their current position had Matt's face squashed against her chest. She quickly released him, shoving her away from him as he sent her a cheeky wink.

''I need to borrow you for a while, if that's alright?''

''Sure thing.'' She hopped up off the couch with an impish grin. ''I'm getting sick of winning anyway.''

''Next time, Torres.'' Matt warned her.

Alexa just rolled her eyes as she crossed the room. As she passed Jon, she discretely reached out to give his ass a light squeeze, letting out a soft laugh when he jumped at the sudden contact. She followed Darren down the hallway, not having to turn around to know that Jon was staring after her.

* * *

The sound of bodies hitting the mat echoed around the training room as Alexa and Darren walked inside. Živilė, Ariane, Ashley and Irena were joined inside one of the rings by Adam 'Joey Mercury' Birch, who had recently signed up at FCW as a trainer. The four women were due to have a tag team match later on that night and were running over some moves as the man offered them his expertise.

''So, why am I here?'' Alexa asked, turning to face the man beside her.

''Well, we thought they could benefit from some time with you. Especially young Ariane, she's... got a lot to learn.''

She snorted at his polite way of saying she sucked and the pair wandered over to the ring. Adam told Ashely and Živilė to take a quick breather while he and Alexa spent some time with the two newest members of the roster, Ariane and Irena. Ignoring the glares the latter kept sending her way, Alexa joined Adam in the middle of the ring.

"Watch this carefully, Ariane."

He whispered a few words into Alexa's ear before picking her up and dropping her to the mat in a hard body slam.

"See how Lex controls her body and protects her head and neck on landing? You can't let your opponent do all the work for you, you need to work as a team. You're both responsible for each others safety as well as your own.''

Ariane nodded as she watched them, taking it all in eagerly. ''Can you teach me how to do a DDT?''

''Sure.'' Alexa and Adam squared up and she lifted up her foot, placing the flat of it over his abdomen. ''First thing you have to do is kick him right in the stomach.'' She demonstrated and the man doubled over like he was in pain. ''You've only got to _tap _him with the flat of your foot, then pull it away really quickly... for the actual DDT, you start by putting him in a front facelock, your arm needs to be tight around his neck." She wrapped her forearm around Adam's neck as she explained, before looking over at Ariane. "Then all you have to do is kick your legs out from under you. You'll take a back bump and he'll take a face bump. Make sure you do something to let him know you're about to go, a slap on the back or something is usually easiest. As you go down, you'll need to loosen your arm... if it stays tight around the neck then he's just going to go face first into the canvas.''

Alexa gave him a quick smack on the back before kicking her legs out from underneath her, performing a textbook DDT. She turned to face Ariane with a smile. "Want to give it a go?"

* * *

Alexa grunted as she landed hard on the mat, the wind being momentarily knocked out of her.

''Shit, sorry Lex.''

She had been training one-on-one with Ariane in the ring for just under an hour while Adam and Irena watched from the side. She had just attempted a snap suplex but got the angle slightly wrong, meaning Alexa's landing was off.

She smiled as Ariane helped her to her feet. ''It's okay.''

''You know, I really appreciate you helping me out. I know I'm a slow learner and you've been really patient with me.''

''You're doing great.'' Alexa encouraged.

''How about you three have a quick match?'' Adam suggested to the women. ''You two against Lex and I'll referee.''

Ariane and Alexa started the 'match' off, the younger woman being able to perform every move that had been asked of her, albeit a little sloppily. Eventually, Irena tagged in, charging towards her with her arm outstretched.

Expertly ducking underneath, Alexa waited until other woman had turned to face her before crouching down and sweeping her legs out from under her. Irena hit the mat with a bang, surprise etched on her face as she looked up at her. After a few more minutes of moves back and forth, the two women locked up in the middle of the ring.

Alexa was suddenly sent reeling back when the other woman's elbow connected solidly with her face; she felt her teeth rattle together and her head started to swim as she stumbled backwards, using the ropes to support herself. Her teeth must have cut into her bottom lip when Irena hit her, she could taste the metallic tang as blood started to pool in her mouth.

''Lex, you alright?''

Ignoring Adam's concerned voice, she opened her mouth and tentatively touched the inside of her lip, wincing when she found a deep cut.

''Lex?''

''I'm fine.'' She told him, swiping away the blood that was slowly trickling down her chin.

After sending one last glare Irena's way, she quickly climbed out of the ring, the sound of Adam admonishing the woman reaching her ears as she stalked across the room. She was beyond pissed off; knowing what had just happened was no accident, having seen the smug look on Irena's face when she saw the blood. She had no idea what had made the woman hate her so much that she would act so unprofessionally.

Glancing up as she neared the exit, she spotted Jon making his way inside, closely followed by Darren. The pair presumably planning on using the ring so they could go over their upcoming match.

They came to a halt in front of her and, catching sight of her murderous expression, the Englishman's smile quickly turned into a frown. ''What's the matter?''

''Nothing. I'm peachy.'' Unaware that her teeth were coated in blood, she flashed him a sarcastic grin and felt the warm liquid drip down her chin. Their expressions were a mix of concern and disgust as she quickly cupped her hand over her mouth.

''Jesus, how did that happen?'' Jon asked.

''Irena stiffed me.''

Instead of making an innuendo, like the other two expected, Jon stepped forward and nudged her hand out-of-the-way. Placing once hand under her chin, he used the other to gently pull her bottom lip out, eyes furrowed as he assessed the damage.

''Looks like it needs stitches.''

''No, it's fine.'' She insisted, trying to shove him away.

''Your tooth's gone right through the skin, I'm telling you, it needs stitches.''

Darren stepped forward, taking a quick look before glancing at her sympathetically. ''I think he's right, you should head down to the trainer's office. Mark should be there.''

''Fantastic.'' She groaned, rolling her eyes.

''Would you like one of us to come with you?'' Darren asked kindly. ''I know how much you despise needles.''

Alexa shot him a grateful smile but shook her head. ''I'll be fine, I've got my big girl panties on today.'' She watched as Jon smirked before opening his mouth, and quickly cut across whatever comment he was about to make. ''You guys go ahead, I know you've got things to go over before the show.''

* * *

_ RealSierra: Battle wound! _

Alexa took a quick selfie showing off her newly stitched lip and her blood coated teeth, before posting that along with her tweet.

''Thanks, doc.''

''No problem, I hope I don't see you here again any time soon.'' The man smiled as he ripped off his gloves and tossed them in the trash.

''Trust me, I don't want that either.''

''Knock, knock.''

Alexa turned, finding Darren's head peering around the doorway. ''Hello, dear.'' He smiled down at her. ''I just came to make sure everything was alright.''

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and jumped off the medical table. ''Everything's fine. It was only four stitches, I've had worse.''

''She was very brave.''

''Thank you Mark, not at all patronizing...''

The medic laughed. ''She nearly broke the table, her hands were gripping the edge that tightly.''

''Bless.'' Darren offered her his arm. ''Come on. I'll escort you back to the locker room.''

''How gentlemanly of you.'' She laughed, looping her arm through his. They said a quick goodbye to Mark before heading off down the hallway. ''So, will you be gracing us with your presence tomorrow night?''

He glanced across at her. ''Tomorrow night?''

''It's Shaul's twenty-first birthday, we're having a surprise party for her down at the Manhattan.'' She informed him with a smirk. ''I asked you a couple of weeks ago, you're obviously getting forgetful in your old age.''

''Cheeky cow. There's plenty of life in the old dog yet.''

Alexa laughed. ''I don't doubt it. I'm sure you could give most of the guys around here a run for their money.''

''You bet I bloody well could!" Darren puffed out his chest proudly.

''You should come. It's not going to be a wild night or anything, I probably won't drink so you won't be the only sober one there.''

''You don't have to abstain on my account, Alexa. I'm perfectly capably of being around people drinking without feeling the temptation to do so myself.'' He told her softly.

''I'm doing it more for me. I've been partying a lot recently and-''

''I think after everything you've been through over the past few years, you're entitled to let loose every now and then. You're only young, you should be out enjoying yourself, not sitting at home moping around. You know I'd be the first to say something if I thought it was getting a bit much.''

''I know... thank you.''


	16. Chapter 16

**Friday 14th October**

"I win! Ten bucks, fucker."

"You won by default, Jon."

"Yeah, so what if you don't know the difference between the six ball and the eight ball! Pay up."

Alexa snorted, watching as Colby pulled out his wallet with a huff and handed over ten dollars to the other man. A small group of them had decided to head to the Tapper Pub to start the evening off, planning on meeting everybody else later.

Jon frowned as Colby set his cue against the table. "What, you don't want another round?"

"No thanks, I don't want to lose all my money." He stated, taking up a seat beside Darren at the small table that overlooked the pool table.

"What about you Darren?"

"I'm quite happy just sitting and watching, thank you very much.''

''I bet.'' Alexa wiggled her eyebrows, laughing as he tutted at her.

"Lex! Come show me your skills." Jon challenged. "You know how to play right?"

''Of course.''

''Then get up here.''

"And lose my money?"

"You're a rookie so I'll be nice, no bets."

"You didn't let_ me_ get off that easy." Colby whined.

"You get off easy enough on your own Lopez." Alexa quipped, taking a sip of her coke.

He flipped her the bird as the other two men let out barks of laughter.

"You shouldn't be so cocky, Jon." She said, rising from her chair. "A couple of years ago, Chris and I hustled a guy out of six hundred bucks in a game of pool."

''Chris _and_ you?'' Jon raised an eyebrow, not looking at all convinced. "Or just Chris?"

Her eyes narrowed and she grabbed the discarded cue, looking over at him indignantly. ''Guess you'll just have to find out the hard way.''

Jon let out a laugh. "Somebody's getting feisty. Lets see you put your mouth where your cue is.''

She just smirked, chalking up her cue. ''You're on, Jonny boy. I'm going to teach you how to play with your balls like a pro."

"You sure you want to do that here?" He asked before taking a drink of his beer.

''Are they always like this?'' Darren asked the man beside him, his lips spreading into a small smile.

Colby nodded. ''Yeah, you get used to it...''

Alexa pulled some cash out of her pocket before slamming it down on the table. "Just to make it a little more interesting."

He chuckled, throwing his own money down beside hers before racking up the balls. Alexa broke, sinking three solids straight off the bat and sending Jon a wink.

Ten minutes later, the table was almost cleared; all that remained was the eight ball, while Jon was about to line up a shot for.

''Your money's mine, Torres!"

''Your fly's open, Good!" She shot back.

Jon quickly glanced down, only to find she was just joking as she let out a chuckle. He sent her a glare before bending over, angling himself perfectly in front of the cue ball. The eight was in his sight, or at least it was until Alexa bent over in front of the pocket he was aiming for, revealing an ample amount of cleavage, and threw off his line of vision. He hit the ball and sent it soaring in the wrong direction completely missing the eight ball. A devilish grin appeared on her face and she effortlessly sunk the eight ball, Jon watching on in disbelief.

''Way to go, Lex!" Colby cried from the table, reaching out to give her a high-five.

She grinned, moving around the table to stand beside Jon as she gently placed the cue on top of the felt.

''You cheated.''

''I did.''

Their eyes met and a slow smile spread across his face. ''That's my girl.''

Alexa's heart hammered in her chest at his words, biting her lip as her eyes followed his form to the bar. It hadn't been long since they had embarked on their 'relationship' and her feelings for him were growing deeper than she had anticipated... and it scared the hell out of her.

* * *

''You know, it _is_ nice not being the only sober one for once.''

Alexa turned, giving the man who had just slipped into the seat opposite her a smile. It was common knowledge that Darren had his issues with both alcohol and drugs in the past, but had been living a totally clean lifestyle for a few years now.

''It means we can share the responsibility of keeping an eye on our drunken friends.''

''Joy.'' She muttered sarcastically, turning her gaze to the dance floor, where Shaul and Ariane were jumping up and down to the music like idiots.

''How's the lip?''

''It's okay.'' She pouted, sticking her swollen bottom lip out. ''It kind of looks like a botox-job gone wrong though...''

''It's not that bad, dear.'' Darren laughed and gave her a hearty pat on the back.

''I really don't know why Irena hates me so much.''

''Jealousy.'' He said simply. ''Steve's spoken to her and she's on her final warning. Try not to worry yourself over it.''

''I won't.'' She promised, raising the glass of coke to her lips and taking a quick sip.

''Irena aside, you seem to be getting on well with everyone else?''

She nodded a confirmation, a happy smile curling at her lips. ''Everyone's great. I don't even know why I cut myself off from everybody at first... but I'm glad you helped put a stop to my anti-social ways.''

''What do you make of Jon? He's a rather unique young man, isn't he?''

She snorted. ''That's one way to put it.''

Darren chuckled, eyeing her over the top of his glass for a moment before speaking. ''Is there something going on between the two of you?''

Alexa nearly choked on the sip of coke she'd just taken, glancing across at him with curious eyes. ''What makes you say that?''

''Just an inkling.''

''We're just friends.'' She said evenly, suprising herself at how easily the lie slipped through her lips.

He arched an eyebrow but wisely kept his thoughts to himself as the man in question suddenly appeared, dropping into the seat beside Darren.

''What are you two gossiping about over here?'' Jon drawled, glancing between the pair.

''Nothing that concerns you, Jonny boy.'' Alexa sniped quickly.

''I'm just going to pop to the loo.'' Darren rose from his seat, eyeing her as he did so. ''Try not to cause any trouble while I'm gone.''

Alexa's face took on an expression of outrage. ''Me?''

''Yes, you, my dear.''

''Darren, I'm offended you thin-''

''You seem to forget that I've been present during some of your more memorable escapades.'' He cut her off with an arched brow.

''Care to share?'' Jon prompted.

The Englishman just laughed as he walked away from the table, leaving the two alone. Alexa waited until he was out of earshot before meeting Jon's eyes. ''He thinks there's something going on between us.''

"Well, he's kind of right...'' He sighed when she rolled her eyes. ''Listen, we're both adults, we can do whatever the fuck we want. Who gives a shit what anyone else thinks?''

''Yeah, you're right.''

''Don't sound so surprised.''


	17. Chapter 17

**Friday 21st October**

_''Tonight, we are young; So let's set the world on fire, we can burn brighter, than the sun. Tonight, we are young; so let's set the world on fire, we can burn brighter, than the sun...''_

Alexa was singing quietly to herself, her iPod blasting in her ears as she walked inside the Osceola Heritage Park Exhibition Center for the FCW Kissimmee Show that was taking place later that evening.

_''Now I know that I'm not, all that you got. I guess that I... I just thought, maybe we could find new ways to fall apa-''_

A sudden tap on her shoulder made her mouth snap closed and she turned around, her eyes widening slightly as they landed on the man standing in front of her. Yanking out her ear-buds, she beamed up at him. ''Hey!"

''Your taste in music is getting worse.'' Phil told her, shaking his head in disappointment.

She rolled her eyes and pulled him in for a quick hug. Phil was making a special appearance at tonight's show, which she had only found out about from Jon the previous evening. ''Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I had to find out yesterday at the meeting.''

''Slipped my mind.'' He shrugged. ''I only got back from Mexico two days ago so I've been a bit busy.''

"Where are you staying while you're here?"

"Well, there was a homeless guy sleeping underneath a bench outside the airport, and I thought that was a pretty good idea. You know, not having to pay for accommodation or anything... I think I'll find a bench somewhere or even a cardboard box. Then I could cut out windows and-"

Alexa reached up and put her hand over his mouth, an incredulous expression on her face. ''Okay, weirdo... you can stay with me.''

He grinned down at her. ''Thanks, kid.''

She looped her arm through his. ''Let's go find the cafeteria, get some coffee and have a catch up.''

Jon scowled as he watched the two old friends over in the corner of the room, feeling a pang of jealousy as Alexa let out a hearty laugh at something the other man had said. He swallowed hard, reminding himself that he had no right to feel jealous, he had no claim on her. It was only sex. Sex which was beyond anything he had ever experienced before... when they weren't together, he spent every moment thinking of her. Thinking about how she felt in his arms, how she felt beneath him, how it felt to be inside of her...

But, if it _was _just sex, why was he fighting the urge to march over there and shove CM Punk's head up his ass?

''Jon! Are you even listening to me?''

His fiery blue eyes moved back to the Samoan in front of him. ''Sorry, bro.''

Joe cocked a brow and turned in his seat, a knowing smirk creeping onto his face when he saw what had captured the other man's attention. ''Dude... are you jealous?''

''What? No.'' He scoffed, avoiding the other man's gaze. ''Don't be ridiculous.''

Joe held up his hands, letting out a laugh. ''Your vehement denial has been duly noted.''

Jon rolled his eyes. ''Fuck you.''

* * *

Alexa's elbow was propped up on the table, her head resting on her hand as her eyes flicked back and forth between April and Phil. The younger woman had joined them in the cafeteria a while ago and had immediately struck up a conversation with her fellow comic book enthusiast. The pair was exchanging playful banter over the upcoming Avenger's movie as Alexa watched on in amusement.

''Come on? Seriously, Scarlett Johanssen as Black Widow?'' AJ scoffed. ''And the Hulk? Don't even get me started on that.''

''Hulk is awesome!'' Phil cried. ''How can you not want him in the movie?''

''Please, he was an Avenger for what, five minutes? The next thing you know, they'll be doing a freaking Ant-man movie!"

''That _would_ suck.'' Phil agreed.

''The new Spiderman movie looks like it'll be pretty good though.''

''Spiderman's just another guy who ends up with sticky hands after using the web.'' Alexa quipped.

The pair turned to face her; April letting out a snort as Phil just shook his head, used to comments like that from her.

''You two are _perfect _for each other.'' She continued, smiling as they both blushed. ''You should totally get married, have little nerd babies.''

''I hate to tell you this, kid, but you're just as much of a nerd as we are.''

April chuckled. ''Yeah, didn't Darren catch you using the TV in the office to have a Doctor Who marathon last week?''

''What?'' She cried defensively. ''My TV at home broke, I had to watch it somewhere!"

''How can you watch that trash?'' Phil goaded.

She folded her arms over her chest, an indignant expression crossing her features. ''Uh, excuse you, Doctor Who is not trash. It-''

April let out a groan, cutting her off. ''Oh no, here comes another one of her long tangents on the wonders of Doctor Who...''

Phil smirked over at the brunette. ''Sounds like you speak from experience?''

''It's a weekly thing.''

* * *

Alexa headed to the men's locker room, smiling as she passed several of the FCW roster who were making their way out to the ring. The match between Jon and Phil had just ended and they had gone out to join in the thunderous applause from the crowd.

The door was wide open when she reached it, and she looked inside, finding Jon in the corner of the room. He was still in his ring gear, his body glistened in sweat as he toweled off his hair.

She smirked and cocked her head to the side, enjoying the sight in front of her, him all sweaty in his gear.

''Like what you see, sweetheart?''

''Maybe... you know, you should totally let your chest hair grow back.'' She mused as her eyes scanned his chest.

''Yeah?'' He asked with a smirk. ''You liked that?''

''Uh-huh, very sexy.''

''I'll keep that in mind...'' Jon muttered as he shifted closer to her.

Alexa cocked an eyebrow as his arm reached out to grab her wrist, pulling her into his chest. He quickly pushed the door closed with his free hand and she found herself pressed up against it. She felt her heart rate skyrocket as his blue eyes pierced her, slighty obscured by his wet mop of hair. Before she had the chance to protest, he dropped his face to hers and kissed her, catching her bottom lip between his teeth.

They broke apart after a few moments, her hand coming up to play with one of his errant curls. ''You were amazing out there.'' She complimented him, letting out a soft chuckle at the faint blush that tinted his cheeks. During the time they had spent together she had discovered that he didn't accept praise well, something which she assumed steamed from his childhood.

''Thanks.''

''I'm serious, you we-''

Alexa was cut off as his lips descended upon hers again; one of his arms looped around her waist while the other gripped the back of her neck. His mouth began to devour hers and she let out a whimper as his hand moved down, squeezing her bottom.

"Oh my God." She half-heartedly pushed him away. "I want you so bad, but we can't. Not here."

He groaned before reluctantly taking a step back, trying to pull himself together. ''Tonight?''

Shaking her head, she shot him an apprehensive look. ''I can't... I kind of told Phil he could crash at my place.''

Jon cocked his head to the side as he looked at her, an unreadable expression on his face. ''You two seemed pretty cosy earlier...''

''What? In the cafeteria?'' She questioned, letting out a loud guffaw at his nod. ''Are you serious? Is that what all _this_ was about, were you jealous?'' Her eyes widened when she saw him tense, a slow smile spreading over her lips. ''You were, weren't you?''

He scoffed, avoiding eye-contact with her. ''That's _ridiculous_."

"It is... but you _totally_ were."

''We're not together... why would I be jealous?''

''Beats me... But, just for the record, Phil and I are just friends.''


	18. Chapter 18

**Thursday 17th November**

Alexa ignored the looks she was getting from some of her co-workers, keeping her gaze locked on the wall in front of her as she maintained a steady pace on the treadmill; the heavy sound of Metallica blasting in her ears from her iPod.

The TV tapings were happening that night, so the majority of the FCW roster were in attendance; either training or preparing for their match. Because they were recording the next two weeks shows back-to-back, there was a lot more on the card than there normally was. As usual, Alexa had spent most of that morning helping the women put together their matches.

Shaul and Živilė were competing for the Queen of FCW crown. Ariane and Celeste were teaming against Christina 'Caylee Turner' Crawford and the new girl, Ivelisse 'Sofia Cortez' Vélez. She had been one of the contestants on the most recent series of Tough Enough, but had been eliminated from the show due to a severe leg injury. The WWE had signed her to a developmental contract ealier that month, and from what little Alexa had seen of her, she definitely had potential. And April had her last match with FCW that night against Ashley and Živilė. She had been going back and forth since May but was now moving over to the main roster permanently.

The women who knew her fairly well immediately noticed that something wasn't right with her; the foul mood she was in was etched all over her face. Shaul, knowing exactly what was bothering her friend, reassured them all that it was nothing to worry about and that they should just drop it. As soon as the session was over and everybody was happy with everything, Alexa had practically ran out of the door to head to the gym area. Working out had always helped her to clear her head... most of the time.

Slamming her hand on the stop button, Alexa waited until the treadmill slowed before jumping off. She grabbed her water bottle and chugged down a few mouthfuls before slipping her iPod into her pocket and making her way across the room to the exit. Just after she rounded the corner into the hallway, she spotted Joe and Jon walking towards her; the pair obviously heading to the gym.

Not really in the mood to talk to anyone, but not wanting to be rude, she shot them a small smile before quickly breezing past them. The two men slowed to a stop, both turning to look at Alexa's retreating figure in confusion.

* * *

After taking a long shower in the women's locker room, Alexa changed into a pair of jeans and a simple leopard print jumper, her feet clad in her trusty Converse. She took a seat on one of the benches and pulled her purse from her gym bag, slipping out the photo of her father that she kept inside. Smiling sadly, she traced the picture with her finger.

''That your Dad?'' Jon's gravelly voice made her jump, she was so engrossed in her thoughts, she wasn't aware that anybody had joined her. He took a seat beside her as she nodded. ''You look a lot like him.''

''So they say.'' She murmured thoughtfully.

After their brief encounter in the hall, Joe and Jon had sought out the younger woman to see if she knew what was wrong with Alexa; both men having been worried at her unusual mood. They discovered that today marked the thirteenth anniversary of her father's death. And that, coupled with the previous Sunday being the sixth anniversary of Eddie's passing, understandably put her in a sombre mood.

''You, uh, want to talk about it?'' He offered, running a hand through his hair awkwardly.

''Nope.'' She replied quickly, sliding the photo back in its place.

''You don't have to be some tough shit twenty-four-seven, you know.'' Jon told her, waiting patiently for her to open up. He had never been good with emotional women, but he found himself actually _wanting_ to comfort her.

''I know...'' She spoke softly, feeling tears swimming in her eyes. ''I just miss him... it's stupid...''

''It's not stupid.'' He assured her gently. ''I mean, I can't exactly relate or anything, but I think it's normal to feel that way. It's not something you just forget about and get over.''

Alexa nodded, sniffling as Jon pulled her into a sideways embrace. ''Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if he was still around, you know? Everything I've done... I just wish I could have shared it all with him.''

''I'm sure he would have been real proud of you.'' He reached out his free hand and brushed the tears from her cheeks.

They shared a moment just looking into each other's eyes before his face broke out in a tender smile, showing off the dimples she loved so much. Gently cupping the side of her face with his hand, he leaned across and slowly kissed her.

It was only brief and he reluctantly pulled away, giving her lip one last nip before stroking her cheek with his thumb. ''Lex, I, uh-''

''Ahem...''

The pair sprang apart and turned to the doorway, finding Shaul standing there with a shit-eating grin on her face.

Jon took a deep breath and rose to his feet. ''Uh, I'm going to go... somewhere else.''

Shaul smirked as she stepped aside to let the man pass before turning to her friend. ''Something I said?''

* * *

**Friday 25th November**

Alexa glanced down at her phone, her eyes scanning over the time for the third time in five minutes. Chris had arranged to meet her over an hour ago, but had yet to arrive. She had forgotten that the man was perpetually late. Letting out an irritated sigh, she called the bartender over and ordered another drink to keep her occupied while she waited.

She thanked the man as he set her drink down on the counter and unlocked her phone to check if she had any new messages. Her lips turned into a frown when she found her inbox empty, hoping that Jon would have been in touch by now. They hadn't spoken in over a week, since Shaul had interrupted whatever he had planned on saying to her.

As weird as it sounded, Alexa had felt like there was something missing without him around. It wasnt love, but she knew she cared about him, a lot more than she was willing to admit.

''Lexi!"

She turned around to see Chris strolling towards her and she grinned, remembering the very first time they had met.

* * *

_Alexa smiled to herself as she walked through the arena at a leisurely pace, taking in the atmosphere. She had signed her official contract with Vince McMachon and the WWE executives six months ago. After training non-stop over at OVW ever since, she would finally be making her TV debut on RAW that night._

_As she walked around yet another corner, it suddenly dawned on her that she had absolutely no idea where exactly she was going. She groaned inwardly but continued walking, hoping that she would run into someone who might be able to help her. After twenty minutes of wandering around the many identical hallways, she came to a halt, cursing under her breath._

_''Ugly mouth for such a pretty little thing.''_

_Alexandra turned on her heel to see a blonde haired man smirking at her, obviously guessing her predicament. As she was an avid WWE fan, she immediately recognized him as Chris Irvine, the man who portrayed Chris Jericho._

_She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. ''Yeah, I got a lot more where that came from, Goldilocks.''_

_''Well, aren't we a little spitfire.'' He moved so he was standing in front of her. ''You lost?''_

_''Is it that obvious?'' She asked with an embarrassed chuckle._

_He laughed. ''Just a little. Where you headed?''_

_''I'm supposed to have a meeting with Stephanie McMahon, she was going to go over everything with me.''_

_''Well, it just so happens that I'm also headed to see Stephanie. Come on.'' He linked arms with her and gently guided her down a different hallway. ''I'm Chris, by the way.''_

_''Alexandra, I prefer Alexa or Lex though.''_

_''Nice to meet you, Lex. So, what made you want to get into the wrestling business?'' _

_''Hot men in tights, what can I say?'' She joked. ''No, my Dad was a wrestler. I went to all the shows with him when I was younger and I just fell in love with it.''_

_Chris smiled slightly. ''How old are you?''_

_''Don't you know it's rude to ask a lady her age.'' She tutted._

_''Yeah, well, I kind of get the impression that you ain't no lady.'' He laughed as she nudged her shoulder into his in retaliation. _

_''That was rude... but probably true.'' She conceded with a smirk. ''If you must know, I'm eighteen.''_

_He raised an eyebrow, surprise evident on his face. ''Really? You must be really talented for Vince to hire someone so young. What did you do before coming here?'' He asked curiously._

_''I travelled down to Mexico, spent most of my time down there on the indy circuits before I did some stuff for ROH. One of Vince's agents spotted me about six months ago. I've been training at OVW ever since and, well, here I am.''_

_''Mexico's great, I worked there for a while back in '92.''_

_''I know.''_

_''How? You were, what, 10?'' He scoffed._

_''7, actually.'' She corrected with a smirk. ''I've seen the tapes, Corazón de León, you were pretty hot back then.''_

_''I'm still hot, thank you very much.'' Chris told her before they came to a stop outside a door. ''Here we are. We'll have a trade stories about our time in Mexico another time.''_

_Alexa nodded in agreement before knocking on the door, entering when she heard a voice call out. She smiled at Stephanie as she entered the room, Chris following close behind her._

_''Ah, Chris, Alexandra...'' Chris snickered at the use of her full name but was silenced by a death glare from the young woman. ''Glad you could both join me. Take a seat.'' They did as she asked and sat down in the chairs opposite her desk. ''Now, Alexand-''_

_''Call me Lex.'' She insisted._

_''Okay, Lex, the creative team have come up with a storyline for you involving Chris here. Tonight he has a match against Christian and you're going to interfere and help him win the match. Then next week Chris will introduce you to the audience.''_

_Alexa nodded. ''Sounds great.''_

_''Good. Well, I'll let you two go get ready. Chris, show her around, make her feel at home, okay?''_

_''Got it boss.'' Chris saluted her with a grin before grabbing Alexa's hand and pulling her out of the door eagerly._

* * *

It had been the start of a beautiful friendship.

Alexa laughed as he scooped her up in a tight hug and spun her around, placing her back on her feet a few moments later. She re-took her seat as Chris slid into the one beside her, ordering himself a drink from the bartender. They spent several minutes catching up, before the conversation inevitably turned to work.

''So, Stephanie called me the other day.''

''And?'' Chris looked at her expectantly.

''And she wants me to go in for a meeting next week when Raw's in Tampa.'' She finished, lifting her bottle to her lips and taking a swig.

''She, uh, didn't tell you what it's about?'' He asked nonchalantly.

Alexa saw through his faux innocence, narrowing her eyes at him. ''No...''

Chris' lips quirked into a smirk. ''Have you seen those new vignettes they've been showing on Raw?''

''The ones with the super creepy kids?'' Her brow furrowed in confusion. ''What's that got to do with...'' She trailed off and her companion laughed as he watched her eyes light up in realization. ''Oh my God! You're really going back?''

He nodded, a big smile on his face. ''It seems like the wrestling bug has bit me again."

She squealed, clapping her hands together. ''When?''

''January.'' He responded with a chuckle. ''I think you're more excited than I am!"

''I am!" She agreed. ''Wait, what does all this have to do with my meeting with Steph?''

He took a long swig of his drink before replying. ''I _might _have suggested that you make your return soon...''

Her eyes widened. ''Please tell me you're joking?''

''Nope.''

Chris watched on in amusement as she downed the rest of her drink before resting her elbows on the bar and putting her head in her hands. ''Are you fucking serious? Oh my God, Chris! I am nowhere near ready to go back yet!"

''Hey, calm down.'' He soothed, gently rubbing a hand on her back. ''Listen. Nothing's set in stone yet, that's why Steph wanted to talk to you first. But, I've been speaking to Darren and he says you're more than ready... I think you're just scared.''

She snorted and turned to face him.

''You can pretend it's not true all you want.'' He shrugged. ''But I know you well enough to know that you are.

Alexa sucked in a deep breath. ''I _am _scared. What if something goes wrong again? What if-''

''What if, Lex?'' It was Chris' turn to let out a snort. ''What if you get hit by a bus tomorrow? You never know what's going to happen, that's just life. You've just got to roll with it, take the good with the bad. I know how much you miss being out there, in front of those live crowds, doing what you do best. I know because that's exactly how I feel. But it must be even worse for you, missing it _that_ much but being too afraid to get back out there. Stop being a chicken shit. You're the toughest person I know, you can do it, you've just got to take that first step.''

Alexa quietly mulled his words over as he ordered them some more drinks, realizing that he was right, as much as she hated to admit it. ''Thank you.''

''For what?'' He asked, sliding her drink towards her.

''For being a good friend.'' She smiled softly.

''You're my best friend. It's my job to talk sense into you when you need it.'' He replied with a grin. ''So, you going to do it?''

''Yeah, I think so.''

''Yes!" He cried, pumping his fist in the air. He spent a few minutes revelling in his victory before swiftly changing the subject. ''So, anyway, what have you been up to, besides training?''

''Uh, well, do you remember Jon?''

Chris nodded. ''What about him?''

''I've been sleeping with him.'' Alexa blurted out.

Chris spluttered on his drink. ''What?!''

''It's been going on for months.'' She added, avoiding the blonde's gaze. ''But I think I'm starting to get too attached.''

''Uh... I don't understand...''

She shot a sideways glance at her friend, who was gaping at her in disbelief. ''What? You want details?''

''No!" He raised his hands. ''Hell no! I really do not want to think about you doing anything in any kind of bed, with any kind of man, at any time."

Alexa smirked. "Your loss. I mean, he does do the most amazing thing with his-"

''Please, no more.'' He grimaced. ''Just spare me the details and tell me how you got yourself into this mess.''


	19. Chapter 19

**Saturday 26th November**

Alexa was rudely awoken by 'Remedy' by Seether blasting through her ears, her phone somehow having found its way next to her pillow in the night. Grabbing the offending object, she answered the call, not bothering to check the caller ID.

''Y'ello?''

The man on the other end snorted. _''First of all, never say that again.''_

She groaned, rubbing a hand over her face. ''Colby?''

_''Did I wake you?''_

''Uh-huh.'' Alexa closed her eyes trying to ease the intense throbbing in her head. ''I think I have a brain haemorrhage.'' The raucous laughter that followed her statement made her sharply pull the phone away from her ear for a moment. ''What do you want?''

_''Do you have anything planned today?''_

''Dying.'' More heavy laughter followed her croaked reply and she groaned. ''Dude, am I on speaker phone?''

_''Maybe... Anyway, I have the perfect hangover cure.''_

''If it doesn't involve sleeping and/or eating all day then you can count me out.''

_"We're headed over to Cena's gym, you're coming with."_

''Why would I want to do that?''

_''It'll be fun, all the guys will be there. Plus, you'll feel a lot better once you sweat all the alcohol out of your system.''_

''Colby, no, I-''

Jon voice suddenly came through the speaker. _''Tough shit, sweetheart. We're already on our way to your place so you better hurry up and get ready.''_

* * *

After having a quick shower and scrubbing the remnants of the previous nights make-up from her face, she had shoved her hair up into a messy ponytail and pulled on some workout gear. She had just finished lacing up her trainers when she heard a horn toot outside, announcing their arrival. Quickly grabbing her gym bag, keys and phone, she slipped on her sunglasses before making her way outside.

Colby was just stepping out of the back of the car as she approached, wincing as he took in her bedraggled appearance. ''What happened to you last night?''

"Eight shots of tequila happened to me..."

He laughed and stepped aside, gesturing for her to climb in. ''You'll have to squeeze in-between me and Claudio.''

''Hey guys.'' Alexa greeted, as she slid into the backseat, grinning at the Swiss man beside her before looking to the front. Joe was driving while Jon rode shotgun, the latter turning in his chair to face her. He had on a pair of aviator sunglasses, which he somehow managed to pull off quite well.

''You look...''

''Like a train wreck?'' She finished.

''No... maybe a small bus crash.''

He fixed her with one of his trademark schoolboy grins and she felt butterflies start to surface in her stomach. Swallowing heavily, she turned to smile at Colby as he took up the seat next to her. The car soon revved to life and they were on their way.

''Here, this might make you feel a little better.'' Claudio spoke beside her, holding out a bottle of water.

''Thank you.'' She accepted it gratefully, downing half of it before replacing the cap. Her eyes furrowed in concentration as she read the writing on the font of the bottle. ''Why the hell does mineral water that has trickled through mountains for centuries have a 'use by' date?''

* * *

Hard Nocks South was a private gym that John had set up with his friend and trainer, Rob Macintyre. It was named after the original Hard Nocks Gym in Amesbury, Massachusetts which was where John had first started working out. There were dozens of military flags decorating the walls, proudly displaying the affinity and honour that he had for the armed forces. It didn't look like a regular gym with treadmills everywhere. Instead, the entire place had a no frills atmosphere, giving the all important lesson that hard work trumped fancy facilities.

''This is pretty cool.'' Alexa declared as she walked around, taking in everything around her.

''It's awesome.'' Colby pitched in from beside her. ''John lets us use this place when we like.''

''That's really nice of him.''

Jon stepped up beside her, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Think you're going to be able to hang with the big-boys today, sweetheart?"

''Oh, I know I can.''

She shrugged his arm off and moved away from the small group, pulling off her jacket before getting into her pre-workout stretches.

''You always warm-up before you do a workout?'' Jon teased as he stepped over to her.

''Yep. Keeps the body limber, less risk of injury.'' She replied, sitting on the floor and spreading her legs out, releasing a small groan when the muscles in her thighs and back protested. ''Besides, being bendy has it's perks.''

Several minutes, and a few crude comments later, he wandered off to focus on his own workout, leaving her in peace to finish off her stretching. Once she was fully limbered up, she glanced around, getting a feel for the lay-out of the place as she decided where to begin.

* * *

Jon watched her intently from the other side of the room, drinking in her appearance as she completed her workout. His eyes remained on her as she went through box squats, front and rear laterals and deadlifts before finally stopping for a break. Grabbing a bottle of water and a towel from her bag, she took a seat on a bench and used her towel to wipe at her face.

Colby had been right about this being an effective hangover cure, she looked like she was feeling better than she had been that morning. A thin film of sweat coated her skin, dripping down her face and her arms. She was bouncing her leg up and down as she drank from her bottle; the muscles beneath her tanned skin bunching and contracting underneath. He smirked to himself, the memories he had of trailing his fingers over all that flesh and muscle running through his mind.

When he first arrived at FCW and before actually getting to know her, Jon thought he had Alexa pegged; stereotypical WWE Diva who thought she was too good to talk to anybody down in developmental.

But, after being witness to some of her cringe-worthy training sessions with Tom, and overhearing some of her conversations with Darren and Joe, he had quickly changed his mind; finding there was a lot more to her than first met the eye. On the outside she was all bravado, sarcasm and a tough-as-nails attitude. Underneath it all though, was a fragile heart that she was protecting with all her might.

His curiosity had been piqued, and there had been a few nights where he found himself scouring the internet for her old matches. He had never really cared for women's wrestling before, especially in the WWE where a lot of them were used purely as eye candy. But Alexa really was something else entirely.

Arguably one of the best female wrestlers in the world, she had the total package. She gave the audience everything they wanted: speed, athleticism, power and showmanship. She was such a well-rounded talent; blending power and high-flying, displaying a natural grace in the ring. She amazed fans every time she stepped through those ropes and was able to tap the absolute best out of her opponents. Some wrestlers just have a feel for the sport; it flows through them like their own blood.

Alexa was one of those wrestlers.

As well as her in-ring ability, she was also one of the best female mic workers out there, almost being on par with Stephanie McMahon. He was sure her time spent with Chris Jericho and CM Punk, two of the greatest mic workers in the WWE, helped significantly with that.

As they had started to spend time together, the more he got to know her and the more he started to like her. They friendship between them soon developed into something more and now he found himself fighting to suppress the growing feelings he was having for her. It wasn't just sex to him anymore; he wanted something more.


	20. Chapter 20

**Thursday 1st December**

_I'm can't believe you got to meet Bull Nakano! I'm so jealous right now._

Alexa hit send on the direct message to Phil before returning her attention back to the other tab on her laptop, the picture of him and the Japanese woman up on the screen. The WWE were doing a couple of shows in Japan and he had been one of the people selected to go. For some reason Bull had been backstage during one of these shows, giving Phil the opportunity to meet her.

_**Ha! I told her what a big fan you are of hers. She said she was a fan of yours too and can't wait to see you come back.**_

_Really?! Oh my God! That's so cool!_

_**Happy Birthday, by the way!**_

She rolled her eyes, typing out a quick thank you before shutting down the laptop. It was her 26th birthday, a fact she had successfully managed to hide from everyone down in developmental. Reaching over to grab her phone from the coffee table, she sighed when she saw it was flooded with messages.

_**Happy Birthday! Hope to see you soon! - Jason.**_

_**Happy Birthday, chica. Your father would be so proud to see the wonderful young woman you've grown in to. - Vickie.**_

_**¡Feliz cumpleaños! - Mando.**_

_**Happy B-Day, biatch. - Scott.**_

Glancing over at the clock, she let out a groan when she saw the time, knowing she needed to head down to the FCW arena soon. Instead of helping the women with their tag team elimination match that they had tonight, she had been asked to help Adam train some new girl who had just been signed.

* * *

''Try it again.''

Alexa sighed as she watched from the corner of the ring, it seemed like the hundredth time Adam had repeated that phrase over the course of the last hour. The new girl, Danielle Moinet, was still having trouble learning to land correctly on the mat. The normal reaction for anyone, was to put your arms down when you fall. But that wasn't the way you're supposed to do it; you need to fall and let your back take the bump, which was obviously easier said than done. Every time Danielle tried to take a bump, she fell and instinctively put her arms out.

After watching a couple more failed attempts, she pushed herself out of the corner and stepped towards the pair. ''Mind if I try?''

Adam shrugged before moving away and taking up her previous position against the turnbuckle, watching on in interest. She waited until Danielle had got to her feet reaching out and lightly shoving her to the ground.

The blonde landed on her elbows and looked up at her in disbelief. ''What the hell was that for?''

Alexa leaned down and grabbed her hand, pulling the woman to her feet. ''Matches may be planned out in advance, but not every blow. You're not always going to be ready, you need to learn how to fall.'' She explained, shoving her again.

Danielle's elbows took the force of the impact yet again. ''Could you at least tell me when you are going to do that?"

After trying this technique a few more times, only to have the same results, she called Adam back over and muttered something in his ear. Waiting until he'd dropped down to his hands and knees, Alexa led Danielle backwards, stopping her when she was just in front of Adam.

Danielle rolled her eyes. ''Really? You're just going to pus-''

She was cut off when Alexa shoved her and she went tumbling backwards over the man behind her. Instead of landing on her elbows, this time she landed flat on her back, her arms stretched out to her sides.

''How'd that feel?'' Alexa asked, looking down at her with a smug grin.

''Better.'' She admitted, slowly getting to her feet.

Adam followed her example and smiled at her. ''Try it again, on your own this time.''

Danielle nodded and moved away from them. Squaring her feet and bending her legs, she jumped up and backwards, landing on the mat on her back. She let out a relieved laugh as Alexa and Adam shared a high-five.

The three of them spent the next few hours in the ring, Danielle getting more comfortable as the time went on. She impressed Alexa with her attitude; she wasn't scared to get physical in the ring and had no problems in taking hard bumps. It was only her first day, so she was understandably still really sloppy, but Alexa knew she would get the hang of it eventually.

''I'm impressed.'' Adam told her as the pair headed down the hallway to the locker rooms, the training session having just finished.

''Yeah, she's got a lot of potential.''

He chuckled. ''No, not with her. With you. Not many people have the aptitude to train newbies, you were really good with her.''

She shrugged, a blush slowly rising up her cheeks at the unexpected praise. ''Is it weird that I kind of enjoy it? It's nice to think that by helping now, I could have some small impact in the future of women's wrestling.''

''It's not weird at all.'' He reassured her with a smile. ''You know, I think when you retire - which I hope is a long, long way off - you should have a serious think about what you want to do. I think you'd make an amazing trainer, here or elsewhere.''

''Yeah...''

He slapped her on the back before he headed over to the men's locker room, leaving her in the hallway. Pausing in the doorway, he called out. ''Don't worry about it now, you've got a long time to think about it.''

* * *

Ten minutes later, Alexa hurried out of the building and into the parking lot. Chris and Jess had insisted on taking her out for a birthday meal, she had been due to meet them at the restaurant ages ago.

''Lex! Wait up!"

Alexa kept walking, but turned her head to see Colby jogging up to her. ''Where are you going all dressed up?''

She glanced down at her outfit; a lilac skater dress with her cropped leather jacket over the top, teamed with a simple pair of black ballet pumps. Cocking an eyebrow, she asked. ''_This _is dressed up?''

Colby snorted. ''I think any time you aren't wearing your Converse means you're dressed up.''

She laughed, the man had a point. ''I'm just going for lunch with Chris and his family.''

''Are you coming back for the show later?''

''Probably not.''

''You have to!"

''Why?'' She asked, narrowing her eyes at the hint of panic in his tone.

He rubbed his neck awkwardly. ''Uh, you just do.''

They came to a stop as they reached her car, she unlocked the door before throwing her bag in the backseat. ''That's not even a real reason, Lopez.''

He watched as she slipped into the driver's seat, sighing before he grabbed onto the door to stop her from closing it. ''Look, you have to come because Shaul's organized a surprise party for you. Though, I guess it's not much of a surprise now...''

''I'm going to kill that girl.'' She muttered, throwing her head back in exasperation. ''She knows how much I hate my birthday.''

''All you have to do is show up, have some cake, maybe a few drinks... how bad could it be?''

* * *

Colby had been right; it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.

Alexa had arrived at the arena shortly after the show finished, finding her friends hiding in the practice room, waiting to shout 'SURPRISE' as she walked in. Colby gave her a subtle thumbs up as she delivered an Oscar-worthy performance, pretending she was genuinely shocked to find them all there. Shaul had outdone herself, decorating the entire area with balloons and Happy Birthday banners. There was even a table covered in food, drink and a large chocolate cake, which hadn't lasted very long. The 'party' lasted for a few hours, before the younger members of the roster decided to head to a bar to finish the night off.

''Balloons are super weird... like, happy birthday, here's a plastic sack of my breath...'' The birthday girl stated, glancing up at the balloon she was holding.

Matt and Colby had kept the drinks flowing in her direction all night and it was becoming painfully obvious just how drunk the woman was.

''You're the only weird thing around here, chica.'' Shaul snorted, looking over at her drunken friend.

Alexa opened her mouth to respond but stopped, losing her train of thought as she caught sight of something across the room. Jon was standing at the bar talking to a scantily-clad redhead, a smirk on his face as the woman draped herself all over him.

''Uh, I need another drink.'' She groaned, tearing her eyes away.

''Your wish is my command.'' Matt spoke as he appeared beside her, placing the tray of drinks down in the centre of the table.

She reached out to grab one of the shots, quickly knocking it back before reaching for another one. Shaul sighed and swiped the glass from her hand. ''Hey, I think you should probably slow down.''

''Sorry, Mom.'' She retorted, rolling her eyes.

Matt laughed as he slid into a seat across the table. ''It's her birthday, leave her alone.''

Shaul shrugged, leaning back in her chair. ''Far be it for me to be the voice of reason for a change.''

''Maybe you _should_ have a glass of water or something.'' Claudio piped up.

''Urgh, fine!" She pushed the chair back and stood, legs wobbling slightly. ''I'll get some water... you guys are buzzkills.''

She stumbled as she started to moved away from the table, Colby laughed, his hand quickly darting out to grab a hold of her waist to keep her steady. ''Lex, you're a mess.''

Flipping him the bird, Alexa carefully made her way over to the bar, noticing Jon and his 'friend' had disappeared. Just the mere thought of what they might be doing made her heart drop, she knew this whole thing would end in disaster. Shaking her head, she asked the barman for a glass of water, thanking him before heading back to the table, determined not to let him ruin her night.

* * *

**Friday 2nd December**

Waking up to a pounding head and an overwhelming sense of nausea in the pit of her stomach, Alexa whimpered at how rough she was feeling. Shutting her eyes tightly, she took a deep breath and tried to fight the bile rising in her throat.

It was no use.

She sat up abruptly, throwing her duvet off her as she jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, getting there just in time to empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet. A few moments later, she felt someone's hand on her back as her hair was gently pulled away from her face. She was surprised to find Jon kneeling beside her as she glanced around, wondering what the hell he was doing there? The question died on her lips and she quickly turned back, continuing to retch into the toilet.

Jon left her briefly, returning a few minutes later with a glass of water. She downed it all before leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes. ''Are you turned on right now?''

He laughed, dropping down to join her on the cold tiles. ''Oh, yeah, I can barely control myself.''

They sat in silence for a while, Alexa waiting until she was sure her stomach had settled before turning to look at him. ''Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but what are you doing here?''

''You don't remember?''

''Would I be asking if I did?'' She sniped.

He chuckled as she scowled across at him. ''I'm sure you're aware, you were pretty wasted last night... when Shaul left, she made us promise to make sure you got home safely. Me and Colby brought you back, but he was worried you were going to puke in your sleep so I offered to stay with you.''

''Well, thanks...'' She said softly. ''I, uh, thought you left with that chick at the bar.''

''No, she wasn't really my type.'' He let out a snort.

A smile crept onto her lips. ''I thought anything with boobs and a pulse was your type?''

''Funny... besides, I still have to give you your birthday gifts.''

She turned to look at him, quirking an eyebrow in surprise. ''You got me a gift?''

''_Gifts_.'' He told her pointedly, pushing himself to his feet and holding out his hand in front of her.

She let him yank her to her feet, letting out a small whine as her stomach protested. ''Urgh, this better not be anything perverted...''

''Come on.'' He mumbled, rolling his eyes.

Alexa let him drag her down the stairs and into the living room where she saw a small, gift-wrapped package on the couch. He picked it up and they both took a seat before he thrust it in her lap, looking at her expectantly. She slowly unwrapped the present, glancing up at his smirking face as she pulled out what was inside. Holding it out in front of her, she laughed. In her hands was a black 'Explicit Mox Violence' t-shirt, from Jon's old days at CZW.

She quickly slipped it over her head and looked down on the logo emblazoned on her chest. ''It's awesome, thank you!"

''Looks good on you.'' He smiled as he got to his feet. ''I'll just go get the other one...''

Alexa curiously watched on as he moved over to her front door and stepped outside, returning a few seconds later. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief at what he had in his arms. ''Are you serious?''

He set the mountain bike down on the floor and grinned over at her. ''Yep.''

She blinked. ''You got me a bike?''

''Yep.''

''I seem to recall telling you that I don't _actually_ know how to ride a bike...''

''Exactly.'' He said simply, patting the bright pink helmet that was resting on the seat. ''I'm going to teach you.''

* * *

''Lex, stop shooting me those looks, I've got the bike. It's steady.'' Jon said, for what felt like the hundredth time with forced patience. ''Just put your other foot on the pedal.''

Alexa's breath hitched, the bike wobbling a little as she lifted her foot up onto the other pedal. ''I don't like this...''

Jon rolled his eyes. ''You haven't even started riding it yet. Right, I'm going to walk you forwards, and what I want you to do is pedal—push your feet down on those—''

''I'm not completely inept, I know what the pedals are!''

The few attempts that followed in the next ten minutes didn't go as planned.

Alexa was adamant that it was all Jon's fault when she fell over, accidentally stomping on his foot in the process as she tried to catch myself. She kept getting distracted by his stong hands on her waist. Somehow, she doubted it was an accident, his fingers kept slipping underneath her t-shirt, and every time they touched her was like a little electric shock.

The second time, she squeezed the brakes too hard and managed to flip herself over the handle bars.

Then, when she finally thought she had the hang of it, the laces from her Converse got caught in the chain, grinding her to an abrupt halt. Jon though it was hilarious and couldn't stop laughing as he tried to free her laces.

Alexa's eyes were watering from the stinging in her hands and knees; most of the skin had been scraped off during her first fall earlier. She was getting more and more pissed off with every passing second. What twenty-six year old could ride a bike?!

Jon finally untangled her lace from the chain and stood, glancing at her earnestly. ''You almost had it there.''

"Almost doesn't count! I must be doing something wrong..."

"You want me to put some training wheels on the bike?" He asked jokingly.

"Do you want me to kick you in the balls?" She returned, laughing when his mouth snapped closed. ''Come on, I've never quit anything and I'm sure as shit not starting now."

He gave her an approving nod as she mounted the bike again. ''I'll run along and help keep you balanced until you get going. Okay?"

Alexa nodded, a look of steely determination on her face as he put his hands on her hips. ''Okay.'' She told him, forcing herself to concentrate on riding the bike, rather than his hands on her body.

''Okay... Go!"

Jon broke into a fast walk as she began peddling, the bike starting to move forward. As her motions became more rapid, he found himself moving up to a jog and then a light run. Ever so gently, he lifted his hands off her hips. She didn't seem to notice their absence, continuing to peddle confidently and keep enough momentum that she was moving forward smoothly. He slowed his running and Alexa pulled ahead of him, cruising down the sidewalk easily.

"Okay, Lex, stop!" He called out a moment later.

Gently squeezing the hand brakes, Alexa skidded to a stop and put her feet down. When she turned around, her eyes widened in shock, expecting to find Jon standing right by her. Instead, she saw him standing way back near her house. She smiled and turned the bike around, starting to peddle the bike back. With a small wobble, she started out slowly but soon picked up speed and her motion smoothed out. As she reached Jon, she hit the brakes, looking up at him with a triumphant grin.

"See? I told you that you could do it!" Jon laughed at the childlike glee on her face.

Alexa jumped off the bike, using one hand to keep it upright and throwing the other around Jon's neck, pulling him into a hug. She couldn't deny how touched she was that he had remembered some offhand comment she made months ago, then went to all this trouble for her. It was one of the nicest things anybody had ever done for her.

"Thank you." She said, pulling back and looking up at him with a genuine smile.

''Anytime.'' He replied softly. ''Now, come on, let's get you cleaned up before you get an infection or something."


	21. Chapter 21

**Monday 5th December**

''Why are you here again?''

Alexa glanced up as Colby's head appeared over the top of the seat in front of her, the man looking down at her curiously. ''I've got a meeting with the boss so I figured I'd just tag along with you guys.''

Raw that night was being held at the Tamp Bay Times Forum and a small group from the FCW roster had been selected to appear in a dark battle royale after the main show. It was only a ten minute drive from the FCW arena so they had hired a small mini-bus to ferry them all to and from the show.

''What's the meeting about?''

She hesitated, not really sure if anybody was supposed to know about her upcoming return yet. ''Beats me.''

His eyes narrowed suspiciously but he took her word for it, returning his attention to the conversation going on around them. Matt and April were deep in conversation with Ettore about the pros and cons of social media, both of them being fans of Twitter and trying to convince the other man to join.

''You should totally join, it's pretty cool.'' Alexa piped up, causing the group to turn towards her.

April snorted. ''If nothing else, it'll give you the chance to see some of the gems she comes out with.''

Matt laughed and nodded in agreement, producing his phone and scrolling through his timeline. ''Listen to these... _I j__ust sneezed on my phone and it made little rainbow sparkles all over the screen. I'm pretty sure that makes me a Wizard... Putting on your bra when your skin is wet is like wrestling with Satan... I__'m at the gas station, just witnessed a little boy steal two fun sized Twix bars by shoving them in his afro. This child is resourceful and will go far in life_... _Cars should come with ejector seats for emergencies. Like when the person you're riding with has shitty taste in music. I'm talking to you, WWERollins._''

The group laughed at the offended look on Colby's face, the man placing a hand over his heart. ''That cut me deep, Lex.''

''This is my all time favourite.'' April coughed to get everyone's attention. ''_There's a finger-sized hole in the wall of the bathroom. I want to put my finger in it. As a woman, I now understand glory holes._''

Ettore did a spit take, effectively getting his drink of water everywhere as Matt guffawed beside him.

Colby shook his head in amusement. ''I worry about you sometimes, Lex.''

Jon, who was sitting across from Alexa quirked an eyebrow at her. ''You're honestly the weirdest fucking person I know... maybe that's why I like you so much.''

Her heart pounded against her chest, seeing the sincerity in his eyes and she cleared her throat. ''And here's me thinking it was because of my banging body.''

He shrugged, smirking at her. ''That too.''

* * *

It was shortly after 2 p.m. as the group piled out of the mini bus and made their way into the arena. As usual on a Monday night, backstage was busy with the usual hustle and bustle of people preparing everything for the show. The guys all wandered off to find the men's locker room while April headed to the women's, leaving Alexa alone to search for Stephanie's office.

After some help from several crew members, she finally found it, the woman in question standing just outside the door as she approached.

''Alexa, so glad you could make it, come in.'' Stephanie greeted her with a genuine smile and a hug before welcoming her into the office and offering her a seat. ''You're looking really well.''

Alexa smiled warmly, sinking into the black leather couch opposite her boss. ''Thank you, you too.''

''Thank you.'' The older woman beamed across at her. ''So, I'm guessing that Chris has probably already told you why I requested this meeting today?''

She rolled her eyes and nodded. ''You guess right, big-mouth strikes again.''

Stephanie laughed and shook her head. ''Well, he's nothing if not consistent.''

''He said that you were thinking about having me make my return soon?''

''Yes. Obviously, you know about Chris coming back in January?'' At the other woman's nod of confirmation, Stephanie continued. ''Well, he's going to be heading into an angle with Phil which will lead up to a match between the two at Wrestlemania. Now, in the past you've had angles with both of them and the fans know that you're good friends with both of them outside the ring. Creative thought it would be a good idea to get you involved, sort of act as a... buffer... between the two.''

Alexa swallowed the lump in her throat, giving Stephanie a nervous smile. ''Uh, that sounds great. But...''

''But?''

''Are Phil and Chris okay with this? I mean, it sounds like it's going to be a pretty awesome rivalry, won't I just get in the way?''

Stephanie laughed again. ''Of course they're okay with it, it was their idea! I think it'll be great, give a different kind of dynamic to it that we're not used to seeing.''

The younger woman sat in a contemplative silence for a few moments before speaking. ''Okay.''

A wide grin broke out on Stephanie's face. ''Great! Now, we haven't got a specific date yet, but it'll be sometime after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Chris and Phil will be kept informed but we want it to be a surprise, so we need to keep it as quiet as possible.''

''I can't tell _anybody_?''

''Ideally, no. But, if you really do need to tell someone then that's fine, as long as they don't leak it.''

''No problem... uh, will I be put right back into matches? Or just getting involved in the Punk/Jericho angle?''

''We'll play it by ear, see how things go. Obviously, it would be great to get you back in the ring as soon as we can. I'm sure you've noticed, but the women's division has been somewhat lacking recently. I think you could inject some much needed life into it, I know Beth and Nattie are looking forward to working with you.'' Stephanie leaned forward to resting her arms on the desk, shooting the woman in front of her a reassuring look. ''I can tell you're nervous, but I have no doubt in my mind that this is going to be great.''

Alexa let out a nervous laugh. ''I wish I had your confidence.''

''You do.'' She reminded her with a smile. ''I remember when you first came here, all those years ago, you were one of the most confident women I'd ever met. You just need to find that again.''

They chatted for a little while longer before Alexa departed, leaving the other woman to focus on her busy schedule for the night. She soon found herself wandering through the hallways of the arena. Her sense of direction had always been somewhat lacking, which had been a running joke in the locker room when she had toured with the roster. Despite the numerous signs that the WWE crew stuck up on the walls to help people find their way around, she was well-known for her habit of getting lost in the arenas.

It took her a while but she finally found the catering area, which is where she thought the FCW gang would most likely be. She was right; Ettore, Colby, Matt, Aaron and Jon were seated at a small table off to the side, chatting quietly amongst themselves. The rest of the group were over by the food carts, loading their plates.

''You boys been keeping out of trouble?'' Alexa offered the small group a smile, snatching a piece of pineapple from Colby's plate and shoving it in her mouth.

"Hey hoover, that was mine." The Iowan spoke playfully, raising an eyebrow at her.

''Didn't your mother ever teach you to share?''

''Didn't_ your _mother ever teach you any manners?'' He returned.

''Nope.'' She grinned before quickly swiping another piece.

He just shook his head at her. ''So, what was the meeting about?''

''Oh, I just had to sign some paperwork and stuff, nothing important.'' She shrugged.

''LEX!"

Alexa barely had any time to react, turning around just before Nick Nemeth grabbed her in a tight hug, spinning her around. Squealing, she clutched his neck tightly before he eventually put her down.

''Nice to see you too, Nicky.'' She ruffled his bleach-blonde locks, laughing as he scowled at her nickname for him.

The pair had first met back in 2006; Nick had been part of the 'Spirit Squad' when they were feuding with D-Generation X. Alexa had been in the middle of her small stint with the infamous faction at the time

They spent a couple of minutes catching up before they were joined by the other participants of the battle royale, everyone crowding around the table to do a quick run through of the match.

Leaving them to it, Alexa wandered over to the refreshment table, helping herself to a bottle of water before turning around, immediately bumping into someone. Her eyes landed on the man in front of her and she failed to keep the lack of enthusiasm from her voice. ''Randy.''

''Lex.''

She moved to step past him, only for him to shift the same way and block her path. Repeating the action the opposite direction, she frowned when he did it again. ''Can you move, please?''

''If you answer me something.''

Sighing, she folded her arms over her chest. ''What?''

''Which one of them are you fucking?'' He asked casually.

A stormy look crossed her features as she glanced over to the table in the corner, her eyes instantly meeting Jon's concerned ones. ''None of them.'' She stated, returning her gaze to him. ''Not that it has anything to do with you.''

''You're a shitty liar, Lex, always have been.'' Randy tilted his head at her, an amused grin on his face. ''Has it ever crossed your mind that whoever it is, is just using you? Hoping you'll put in a good word with management so he'll get called up to the main roster quicker...''

Alexa let out a snort of disbelief, shaking her head at the man in front of her. ''You're unbelievable.''

''No need to get so defensive, I'm just looking out for you.''

''Yeah, well I don't need, or want, you to.''

''You remember what it's like, don't you? Woking so hard to move up through the ranks of the company... it doesn't hurt to have somebody fighting your corner...'' He trailed off, looking down at her with a pointed look. ''You should know that.''

Her eyes narrowed angrily. ''What's that supposed to mean?''

Randy leaned down, speaking quietly into her ear. ''I think you know that if we hadn't been together, you would never have gotten so far.''

Alexa's jaw set and she reacted on instinct, anger flooding through her as she violently shoved him, sending him stumbling back a few steps. She heard the entire room descend into a stunned silence, but found herself not caring in the slightest.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Paul boomed as he march over to them, glancing between Alexa and Randy.

Alexa's stormy eyes didn't stray from the man in front of her. ''Why don't you ask Randy?''

''It's nothing.'' He insisted, his voice faltering slightly.

''No, it wasn't. You just accused me of fucking the talent in exchange for helping them get fast-tracked to the main roster. Then, implied that if it wasn't for you, my career would never have taken off. I don't even care if you-'' She swept her eyes around the room. ''-or anybody else here thinks that about me, but I will not have you saying that kind of shit about them.''

Paul looked dumbfounded at what he had just heard, feeling disgusted at his old friend. He knew there was a lot of animosity between the former couple in front of him, but he never thought Randy would stoop so low. He had known Alexa since she had started in the company; she was one of the most talented, hard-working and passionate people he knew in the industry, just the idea that she had slept her way to the top was laughable.

''Lex-''

''I'm not finished, Paul.'' She cut the man off as politely as she could, turning back to Randy. ''They have all worked their asses off to get where they are today, you'll never know what it's like to have to work your way up from the bottom like they did... like I did... When have _you_ ever worked for anything in your entire life? You couldn't cut it in the Marine Corps and the only reason you even got a shot here is because of your Daddy... You're pathetic.''

The was a stunned silence as Randy stepped forward, red-faced and clenching his fists at his sides. ''You're such a fucking bitch. No wonder I left you.''

''Okay, that's enough.'' Paul finally intervened, wedging his frame between the two of them. "Everybody needs to calm down before this gets even more out of control. Randy, go to my office. I'll meet you there shortly.''

The man eventually nodded, glaring down at Alexa one more time before walking away. Once Randy was gone, Paul steered her over to one side. ''Look, I know things are... bad... between the two of you, but this can't keep happening.''

''Not to sound petty, but he always starts it.'' She told him with a shrug. ''I'm a professional, I've got no problem being civil to him. But he's got to do the same. I'm not going to put up with all the shit he keeps giving me every time we see each other.''

He nodded, giving her a tight smile. ''I'll talk to him.''

* * *

Alexa sat alone at the back of the mini-bus, her head leaning against the window as she waited for the rest of the guys.

She had managed to briefly catch up with John and Phil during the show, the latter giving her a belated birthday gift; a signed photo of Bull Nakano that he had procured the previous week when he had been over in Japan.

Not even that had managed to improve her mood; the confrontation with Randy was still fresh in her mind and the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

How dare he try to belittle her career like that?

She had busted her ass for years to get to where she did; their relationship had nothing to do with her success in the WWE. She knew it, he knew it, everybody knew it. The only reason he had even suggested it was because he wanted to get a reaction out of her, and it worked.

Alexa hated that he still had the ability to get under her skin, even after all the time that had passed.

The only consolation was that Paul had witnessed the whole thing. Hopefully he would be able to talk some sense into Randy. She really didn't want a repeat of this every time they saw each other, especially with her return looming.

She was jostled out of her thoughts when she felt somebody jump onto the seat beside her, turning to find Jon staring at her, eyebrow raised.

''Why are you sat in here by yourself?''

Shrugging, Alexa turned away from him, resting her head back on the window. ''I watched your match, you were all awesome.''

The smirk on his face could almost be heard in his voice. ''But I was your favourite, right?''

''Goes without saying.'' She lifted her head from the glass, taking note of the empty bus. ''Where _are_ the others?''

''Probably still back in the locker room, getting their shit together, I don't know.''

''You should've waited for them.'' She admonished lightly. ''Plus, I'm pretty sure some of the suits wanted to talk to you.''

His face screwed up in confusion. ''About what?''

''I overheard a couple of them talking with Paul when I was watching the match, they're thinking of sending you and Colby on the road this month. You know, do a few dark matches to get a look from the producers.'' A faint blush spread over her cheeks as she continued. ''And, I uh, might have put my own two cents in...''

His eyes danced in amusement. ''Oh shit, what did you say?''

''Just that you two were both awesome, and if they didn't call you up soon then they were stupider than they looked.''

Jon's deep laugh echoed around the bus. ''That mouth's going to get you into trouble one day, sweetheart.''

''I've made it so far, I'm sure I'll be fine.'' A mischievous smile spread across her face. ''Besides, I never hear you complaining about my mouth.''

''There's good reason for that.'' He smirked over at her. ''Listen, about what Orton said to you earlier...''

''Which part?''

''All of it.'' He clarified. ''You know none of it's true, right?''

''I know that.'' She scoffed. ''My self-esteem isn't so easily crushed, I know that what he said was a load of bullshit. But it still pissed me off. And the fact that I _let _it get to me, just pissed me off even more.''

''He's a cunt.'' Jon huffed out angrily. ''I should have marched over there and fucking punched him.''

Alexa blinked at him, a hint of surprise on her features at the foul language. ''That's sweet and all, but you would've just ended up kissing your career goodbye.''

He mumbled something under his breath before taking hold of her hand, lacing their fingers together gently. ''His face when you said that shit about his Dad... I thought he was going to blow a gasket.''

''Yeah, I probably shouldn't have said that.'' She shook her head, letting out a light chuckle.

''Why not? It's true, he is only here because of his old man. I have to say though, it was pretty hot watching you go off on him like that.'' He told her, a roguish grin flitting across his handsome face.

''Yeah?''

''Yeah, you're sexy when you're ang-''

Alexa cut him off abruptly, leaning forward and pressing her lips to his; gently coaxing his lips open, slowly rolling her tongue over his. She whimpered as he returned the gesture, her hands shooting up to tangle in his shaggy hair. Guiding her body with his hands, he pulled her forward until she was practically sat on his lap, their lips still crashing together.

They eventually broke apart when they heard the familiar voices of the guys just outside the bus, managing to settle back into their seats just as the door to the bus opened. Jon glanced sideways at her, silently communicating that they would be finishing this later.


	22. Chapter 22

**Friday 9th December**

''Lexi, I've decided that I want to be a unicorn when I grow up.''

''Okay...why?''

''So I can stab people with my head.''

Alexa blinked a few times, watching the young boy wander off before turning to face his father. ''Your kid's a nutjob.''

Chris laughed and opened his mouth to reply but paused, suddenly jumping out of his seat. ''Chey! You can't eat that!''

She snorted as the Canadian ran over to his daughter who was sat in the middle of his lawn, currently in the process of shoving a worm in her mouth. As she watched him chase her around the garden, she let her mind wander over the events of the past week.

Jon's birthday had been on Wednesday and, as had been the norm lately, he had woken up in her bed.

* * *

_His eyes fluttered open and he blinked a few times before his gaze landed on her. "Morning." He murmured, his voice still husky with sleep._

_"Morning." Alexa replied softly, her mouth curling into a smile. She leaned down to give him a light kiss on her forehead before swinging her legs over the side of the bed and padding across the room. After grabbing a neatly wrapped packagage from her dressing table, she dived back onto the bed. ''Happy Birthday!"_

_Jon groaned, yanking the duvet up over his head. ''How did you find out it was my birthday?''_

_''You left your wallet here last week. I may have snuck a look at your drivers licence.'' Alexa admitted with a shrug. ''Come on... don't you want your gift?''_

_''Unless it involves you in some skimpy lingerie, I'm not interested.'' He grumbled._

_She rolled her eyes and landed a soft punch to his abdomen, laughing when he let out a pained grunt. He threw the covers off with a huff, shooting her an unimpressed look before he studied the package in her arms._

_''Open it.'' She told him, thrusting it towards him. _

_Jon shuffled himself into a sitting position, leaning back against the headboard as he took the present from her. He quickly tore off the silver paper, smiling when he saw what she had got him. Inside was a brand new leather jacket. He had been talking about getting one for a while, she obviously paid more attention to him than he thought. He carefully unfolded the garment, admiring it for a moment before setting it down on his lap._

_''This is awesome, thank you.'' He told her with a soft smile._

_She beamed back at him, leaning over to grab something from the under the jacket, handing it to him with a smirk. ''You missed this.''_

_He took it from her, chuckling as he held it up. It was one of the very first t-shirts that she'd had made in the WWE; plain black with 'SIERRA' scrawled across the chest in glittery purple writing._

_''You gave me one of yours, figured it was only fair to return the favour...''_

* * *

Alexa was starting to realize that Trish and Beth had been right all those months ago; doing the whole 'friends with benefits' thing _was_ a bad idea. Despite how much she loathed the idea, she knew that she needed to break things off with Jon.

There was no denying that the sexual chemistry between them was electric but she was finding it increasingly difficult to separate the physical from the emotional.

Everything was so much easier when she was with him, she could just be herself without having to worry about him judging her. She just loved being around him. But that was exactly the problem; _love_... she was falling for him.

Alexa could barely bring herself to think the dreaded 'L' word, let alone say it. Every time she allowed herself to care that deeply about someone, it caused her nothing but heartache. After her father had passed away she rarely said those three little words, not even to her friends and family.

She had been with Randy for almost a year until she finally told him she loved him, thinking he wasn't going anywhere. After that blew up in her face she promised herself she wouldn't let herself get sucked in like that ever again.

She needed to get out now before she found herself in too deep and it really started messing with her head. She didn't _want _to be away from him and she knew it would hurt at first, but it would be the best thing for her to do in the long run.

All she had to do now was figure out how to tell Jon that.

''What's eating you?''

Alexa was dragged out of her musings as Chris slumped back into his seat across from her. ''What? Nothing.''

''I've known you for long enough to know when something's bothering you.'' He told her pointedly. ''Come on, spit it out.''

''I just...'' She heaved out a sigh, meeting his eyes. ''I think I have to end things with Jon.''

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. ''Oh, I thought you were happy with your, uh... arrangement.''

She bit her lip. ''I was.''

''Has he done something? I swear to God, if he's hurt you in any way, I'll rip him apart with my bare hands.''

Alexa laughed at the genuine anger in her friend's eyes. ''I promise, he hasn't done anything to hurt me.''

''Good.'' He nodded, relaxing back into his chair. ''So, what's the issue then?''

''It sounds stupid, but I'm starting to care about him _way _too much and I just... can't.'' She told him softly. ''I don't want to get too attached, it'll only end in trouble.''

''Lex, you can't close yourself off just because of-'' He said—but then a look of realization crossed his face. ''You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Her eyes widened in fear and she hastily voiced her denial. ''What?! No, I'm not!"

Chris' lips curved into a smug smile as he folded his arms over his chest. ''The lady doth protest too much, methinks.''

She scowled across at him. ''Whatever... asshole.''

* * *

Alexa was sat propped up at the end of her couch, trying to watch the movie playing on the screen of her television while Jon sat at the opposite end. He had opened a can of pringles and had ploughed through them steadily for the last half an hour, but the pile of chips was getting low inside the canister and his hands couldn't reach inside. His frustrated grunts had started to annoy her and she turned to him with a sigh.

''Problem?''

His eyes locked with hers as he narrowed his eyes in a playful glare, his fingers once again straining to reach a chip. ''These cans fucking suck.''

''Why don't you just put them in a bowl or something?''

Jon glanced at her as if she had just offended his entire existence. ''If I wanted them in a bowl, I would have put them in a bowl, I wouldn't have paid extra for the neatly stacked can."

She rolled her eyes and watched as he gently jiggled the can so the chips would slide out. ''They're not going to come out like that...''

''Fuck it!" Frustrated, he tried jamming his fist into the can. Sticking his tongue out in deep concentration, he raised his elbow to slowly tilt it toward the hand wedged inside. He momentarily glanced up at Alexa, before putting his focus back on the canister.

Alexa leaned towards him, shaking her head as she wrapped her fingers around the red can. Jon pulled his hand out, wincing as the rough, paper lip scraped across the skin. Pulling it to her chest, she casually reached in to grab a chip and brought it to her mouth before smiling smugly at him.

''Show off.''

She licked her lips and laughed, enjoying his increasing annoyance over something as ridiculous as a canister of potato chips. ''You know, you're pretty hot when you get all worked up...'' Raising her eyes to his and not breaking eye contact, Alexa lifted her fingers to her mouth and started to suggestively lick the salt off her fingers.

Jon swallowed heavily, his jeans starting to become increasingly uncomfortable as he watched her. ''You're a tease.''

Unable to resist any longer, she let out an excited yelp when he leaned over and forcefully pressed his lips to her collarbone. As his mouth aggressively nipped at her neck, his fingers began to fumble with her pants.

Moaning into the kisses and throwing back her head to give him better access, she tugged at the hem of his shirt. When Jon bent down to yank her pants and underwear down in one swift motion, he paused just long enough to lift his arms as Alexa pulled his shirt off and dropped it on the floor beside the sofa. Settling on his knees, his large hands wrapped around her thighs, spreading them to slip two fingers inside her.

"Oh fuck." Alexa moaned as his finger began swirling inside her.

She tugged roughly at his head, pulling at his shoulders until his lips found hers. Their tongues fought their way into each other's mouth as Jon's free hand made its way under her t-shirt, his fingers finding the nipple of her breast and rolling it between his fingers. He pulled away from her, moving down to leave a trail of hot kisses down her chest, coming to a stop just above her hipbone.

Lifting his head, he studied her face as he slowly removed both fingers and created a dizzying friction against her clit with his thumb.

''Jon, plea-''

Her pleading was cut off when his head dove between her legs to flick his tongue against her clit. She started to squirm under him, tugging at his hair as she ground against him; his laughter reverberating against her wetness. squeezing the underside of her breast firmly in one hand, Jon and thrust two fingers inside her, all the while keeping his mouth and tongue moving on the sensitive bundle of nerves. Her moans became louder and she writhed under him as she felt the first waves of her orgasm start to crash down on her.

Kneeling up, Jon quickly pushed down his pants while still working his fingers inside her, and positioned himself over her. Feeling her muscles clenching harder, he pulled his fingers out and in one motion, managed to grab his erection and guide it inside her.

Her eyes flew open with a surprised gasp as he slammed into her. His face was now inches from hers; his eyes screwed shut as he let out a deep-throated groan. ''Fuck, Lex.''

She grabbed onto his shoulders and lifted herself up, wrapping her legs around his waist. The altered angle allowed him to pump into her even deeper and her eyes rolled back in her head as she continued to ride out her orgasm. It only took a few more frantic, hard thrusts for him to feel the familiar warmth spread across his abdomen and he shuddered as his hips bucked, coming forcefully inside her. Pumping in and out as he finished, he groaned loudly at the intensity of the release.

Heart pounding in her ears, Alexa flopped her head to the side as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing heavily. ''That was...'' She trailed off, searching for the right adjective.

''I think what you're trying to say is, 'That was fucking awesome, Jon. You are a sex god'.''

''I think sex god's normally last more than a minute.'' She teased as he pushed himself off her, rolling over to lay at her side.

''Hey, fuck you.'' He replied defensively. ''You were already coming, there was no way I was going to last.''

''That's true.''

''Besides, I didn't hear you complaining.''


	23. Chapter 23

**Tuesday 12th December**

After enduring a full day of training from the FCW staff, some members of the roster had decided to have an impromptu training session of their own. They had ordered pizza and everyone was scattered around the room, talking amongst themselves while watching the action. Alexa and Colby had been in one of the practice rings for a little while; trying to outdo each other with their high-flying moves. Following an argument over whose corkscrew shooting star press was the best, they had recruited Ettore to be the judge. He had quickly declared Alexa the winner, much to Colby's chagrin.

''I wish I could do that, man, it looks really cool.''

''I can try to teach you, if you want?'' She offered, glancing up at Ettore with an earnest expression on her face.

He raised an eyebrow. ''I think I might be too big to pull it off, Lex.''

''Pfft.'' She waved off his concern. ''If_ Brock Lesner _can manage to pull together a semi-decent-looking shooting star press, I'm sure_ you _can.''

''I don't think I've ever seen Lesner land one without botching it.'' Colby snorted, remembering back to WrestleMania XIX where Brock Lesnar was facing Kurt Angle and managed to botch said move; injuring both himself and his opponent. ''Billy Kidman's always looked sloppy as fuck, too.'' He added with a shake of his head.

''Oh, his were _awful_. I'm surprised they let him use it as long as he did. One night on Smackdown, his knee hit Chavo right in the face when he landed, knocked him clean out. That's when they decided to ban the move.''

''Why were you allowed to keep the move after they banned it?'' Ettore asked her curiously.

''That was back in '05. Luckily, I'd been performing them consistently enough for them to let me carry on using it.'' She explained, letting out a small laugh. ''When I first got signed and I told them that I wanted to keep it as my finisher, they weren't sure and tried to get me to do something less... flashy. To prove I could do it, they made me practice it on a dummy for, like, two hours... it was ridiculous.''

''Yeah, they made Matt do the same when he first came up.'' Colby told her.

Matthew 'Evan Bourne' Korklan was a good friend of Colby's, the pair having met back in the indies. Well-known for his high-flying, lucha libre inspired style of wrestling; he was the only person on the roster, besides her, who was trusted by management to do the move on a regular basis.

After talking for a little while longer, the three of them got out of the ring when some of the others started to get impatient for their turn. Colby and Ettore took up some seats beside Joe while Alexa wandered over to the other ring where Shaul and Irena were going at it.

Rolling her eyes as Irena shot her a scathing look, she leaned on the apron and smiled over at Shaul. ''Looking good, chica.''

''Thanks...'' She panted from the exertion. ''You want to get in?''

Alexa shook her head, remembering all too well what happened the last time she got into the ring with Irena. ''I'll pass, thanks.''

''Too good to spar with the likes of us?'' Irena asked snidely.

''Not at all.'' She cocked an eyebrow, replying evenly. ''I just didn't want to embarrass you, that's all.''

Shaul eyed the two women warily, stepping aside as Alexa climbed into the ring. ''Maybe this isn't such a good idea.''

Irena smirked at the younger woman. ''It's fine, we're both professionals, right?''

''One of us is.'' Alexa retorted sassily.

Sighing, Shaul rolled her eyes; this _wasn't _going to end well.

* * *

Alexa knew it would happen eventually, so she should have been ready for it. She was going back and forth with Irena inside the ring when one of her blows came at her with way more force than was necessary. Irena's fist slammed into the side of her jaw, sending her reeling back a few steps. Seeing another fist heading her way, she quickly ducked and lifted her arm, smashing her elbow into the other woman's face.

Shaul, watching from the corner of the ring, bit her lip to keep from laughing at the expression on Irena's face. She obviously hadn't been expecting Alexa to retaliate; a look of pure shock appearing on her face as her hand slowly rose to cup her cheek. She kept her mouth shut, instead sending Alexa a look of contempt before they carried on sparring.

After this had happened a few more times, Alexa finally decided that she'd had enough. She waited until Irena purposely landed another hard hit before her arms snapped forward, roughly shoving the other woman down to the mat.

''Listen.'' She stepped over to where Irena was sprawled. ''You need to stop with all this unprofessional bullshit. I don't know what your problem is with me and to be honest, I really don't care. Grow up and get the fuck over it.'' She spared the woman one last glare before she moved over to the edge of the ring and stepping through the ropes.

She had no time to brace herself as the Australian came barreling into her, sending her flying off the ring apron and onto the cold floor. Her head hit the floor panels with a sickening crack, pain instantly shooting through her skull and darkness clouding her vision.

* * *

When she came too, Alexa could hear the muffled sound of Shaul angrily shouting at Irena inside the ring as she lay there on the floor, her eyes scrunched closed in pain. She slowly opened them as she sensed people at her side, her eyes only able to make out a couple of blurry figures before they fluttered closed again.

''Lex, come on...''

She slowly opened them again, finding herself staring into Colby's brown orbs, cringing as the bright lights assaulted her eyes.

"I'm fine." Alexa managed to croak out.

Frowning at the vacant haze covering her eyes, he glanced over at Ettore who was crouched at her other side. ''Is Mark still here?''

''Jon's gone to check.'' He replied softly.

''I said, I'm fine!'' She protested through gritted teeth, her face screwing up with effort as she planted her elbows against the floor, only just managing to push herself into a sitting position.

Jon stepped over to them, breathing heavily from his run to the trainer's room. ''Mark's gone home.''

''Maybe we should call an ambulance.'' Ettore suggested.

''Guys, seriously, I'm okay.'' She rubbed the back of her head. ''Quit fussing.''

The three shared a look which clearly showed they thought otherwise but didn't argue with her. They had just helped her get to her feet when Shaul came over to them, concern clear on her face.

''Where's Irena?'' Colby questioned, noticing the woman had vanished.

''Who gives a shit?'' Jon asked angrily. ''Fucking bitch.''

''She'll get hers, don't you worry about that.'' The woman told him before turning her attention to her friend. ''Come on, let's go grab your stuff from the locker room.''

''Then we can go home?'' She asked, her words slurring together slightly.

Shaul nodded reassuringly at her. ''Whatever you want.''

Alexa took one step before starting to sway and Jon darted forward, wrapping an arm around her back supportively. ''Come on sweetheart.''

* * *

Perched on the bench in the locker room, Alexa watched as Shaul picked up all their stuff, shoving everything into their bags as she went. Colby and Jon were waiting for the pair outside in the hallway, offering to give them a ride home since Shaul didn't have her licence yet and Alexa was in no condition to drive.

''Lex, you really need to get checked out.''

''I don't, I... I think I'm going to puke...''

Shaul's eyes widened and she quickly dropped the tank top she was holding, grabbing the trash can from the corner and dashing over to her friend. She made it just in time to see the evidence of their pizza binge earlier being spilled out into the waste basket.

''Urgh...''

''See.''

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and accepted the mint Shaul offered her. ''I've had worse, I just need to go home, sleep it off.''

Shaul sighed in exasperation, muttering angrily under her breath as she resumed her earlier task. A few moments later, she caught a sudden movement out of the corner of her eye and turned around. Alexa had risen from the bench but as her body shifted, her knees gave out underneath her and her eyes rolled up into back of her head. Shaul's reflexes weren't quick enough and she could only watch helplessly as her friend collapsed, her head connecting with the bench as the floor rushed up to meet her.

''Oh my God!" She rushed over to Alexa, pulling her up so her head was resting in her lap. ''Lex... Lex!" When she got no response, panic started to set in and she looked desperately over to the door. ''Guys!"

The door swung open and Colby and Jon stepped inside, both men freezing at the scene in front of them.

''Shit.'' Jon was the first to react, dropping to his knees beside them as Colby stood back to call for an ambulance. ''What the fuck happened?''

''I don't... she was sick in the trash... I turned around to pick up the rest of her stuff and she tried to stand up... she just collapsed, hit her head again on the way down.'' She told him, her voice shaking as her eyes started to well up.

Jon leaned over her, tapping her cheek lightly. ''Lex... Lex... come on, wake up beautiful...''

Colby had just ended the call, stepping over to the group on the floor just in time to hear Jon's words. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion as he watched the man on the ground fuss over Alexa but quickly shook it off, meeting the other woman's eyes. ''I'll go wait outside for the ambulance.''

Shaul nodded, smiling gratefully at the man as he hurried out of the room. Her attention shifted to Alexa; her eyes were fluttering behind their lids and her body started to shift slightly in her lap. ''Oh, thank God... you're okay, Lex, take it easy.''

It didn't take long for the paramedics to arrive; the sound of hurried footsteps echoing down the hallway before they were led into the locker room by Colby. ''In here.''

Jon moved out of the way so the medic could kneel at Alexa's side, planting his equipment case next to him. ''Okay, what exactly happened?''

''She hit her head pretty hard a little while ago. She said she was fine but then she was sick. She just collapsed in here when she tried to stand, hit her head again on the bench...''

The man nodded, his eyes trained on the woman lying in front of him. ''Miss, can you hear me?''

Alexa's face screwed up in pain as she tried to angle her head away from the probing hands.

''How long ago did she hit her head?''

''The first time was about forty minutes ago, the second, about twenty.'' Shaul told him.

''It's definitely a concussion, but because she hit her head twice in such a short period, I think it's best we take her to the hospital to get her checked out.'' He returned his attention to the prone woman. ''Miss, can you open your eyes for me?"

Alexa stirred for a moment, her lids lifting briefly to reveal her bright violet eyes, but they snapped shut again almost instantly.

"My name's Simon. Can you tell me your name?"

The only response was a weak groan as Alexa lifted her hand to her head, breathing in deeply.

"Her name's Alexandra Torres." Shaul supplied.

Jon snorted. ''But she'll _kill_ you if you call her that, it's Lex.''

"Alright, Lex, we're going to get you on a stretcher and take you to the hospital, so try to stay still."

Her eyes shot open, looking up at the stranger talking to her with a hint of panic on her face. ''No.. no... no hospitals..." She shifted in Shaul's lap, straining to get up. "I'm just… let me go home, I'm fine, I don't need to go."

"You need to try to keep still, Lex. If you think you can walk out to the ambulance, that's fine, we'll help you, but you do need to go to the hospital."

''I don't need to go.'' She insisted, her words sluggish. After a few moments of her attempting to get to her feet she gave up and fell back onto Shaul; her face pale from her efforts. ''Urgh.''

The EMT raised an eyebrow at her. ''You were saying?''

* * *

''How's she doing?''

Shaul looked up from filling in Alexa's medical forms, finding Colby and Jon making their way towards her. She had been allowed to ride with her in the ambulance and the two men had followed in Colby's car, knowing that they would most likely need a ride home later. ''I don't know, I haven't heard anything yet.''

''I'm sure she's-''

''Alexandra Torres?''

"How is she?" The three simultaneously asked, turning to face the woman.

"Well, she's fully conscious now, I'm sure she'd be happy to see some familiar faces." Offering them a gentle smile, she motioned for the three of them to follow her as she stepped through a set of metal doors. "She has a severe concussion. We did some scans and luckily we didn't detect any lasting damage or bleeding. She'll be really sore for the next few days so she needs to rest it off.''

They all nodded as they came to a halt in front of a beige curtain, she pulled it back to show an irritated-looking Alexa. She offered her friends a weak smile before looking back to the doctor, her fingers playing with the starchy white sheet on the bed beneath her. ''Can I go home now?''

"I'm afraid not. Because of your concussion, I think it's best that you're not left alone, so we're going to keep you over night for observations."

The woman's words had Alexa sitting up in an instant, her head shaking in complaint. ''You can't be serious? I'm fine, it was just a bump, I've dealt with worse. There's no need to keep me here."

The Doctor shook her head sternly. "It would be completely irresponsible of me to leave you unwatched tonight... but, I suppose, if one of your friends will agree to watch over you for the next twenty-four hours, I can release you into their care?''

''I can do it, she'll be fine.''

''Shaul, you have classes tomorrow.'' Alexa reminded her softly.

"I don't mind babysitting you." Shaul and Colby regarded Jon in surprise, the former eyeing him with blatant skepticism. ''What? All I have to do is keep waking her up, make sure she's still alive... right, Doc?''

The woman let out a chuckle. ''Pretty much, yes. She'll need to stay awake for a few hours but then you can let her sleep. You'll need to wake her up every half hour for first few hours of her sleeping, and then hourly after that. When you wake her up, you've got to assess her consciousness with the AVPU test. Alert. Voice. Pain and Unresponsiveness. As long as she's alert and able to answer questions, responds to voice and pain, then there's no need for concern and you can let her go back to sleep. But if she fails any of those tests you need to bring her back in as soon as possible." She turned her attention to the patient. ''Make sure to rest, and take a Tylenol if your head bothers you tomorrow morning. Don't be surprised if you feel nauseous or woozy. No strenuous physical activity, no television watching, no reading, no bright lights-"

"No fun?"

The woman offered Alexa a small smile at her comment. "No fun for the next couple of days.''

* * *

''Lex, wake up... Come on, you know you're not allowed to sleep yet... I know you can hear me..."

Alexa let out an annoyed groan, swatting at the hand that was resting on her cheek. They were curled up on the couch in her living room, Jon reclining on the seats as she lay in between his legs, resting on top of him. ''I just want to sleep.'' She grumbled, pressing her face harder against his chest.

''I know, but you can't. Doctor's orders.'' He told her softly, his thumb tracing gentle lines over her cheek.

''Thank you... for looking after me, you didn't have to do that.''

''I wanted to.'' He shrugged, frowning as he eyes began to close. ''Hey, stay with me.''

''I can think of a few ways for you to keep me awake.'' She mumbled, lips curling in a soft smirk.

''You heard the Doctor,_ no strenuous physical activity_.'' He quickly caught her hand as it started to trail down his chest. ''How about we talk instead.''

''About what?''

''Anything.''

''How super specific of you...'' She rolled her eyes. ''Tell me something I don't know about you.''

He thought for a minute before responding. ''When I was in the indies I got pretty wasted and cut a promo while I was wearing a bear suit. Sami left the camera turned on and, well, I ended banging some chick while I was still wearing the suit and the whole thing was caught on camera.''

Alexa snorted, tilting her head to look at him. ''Classy.''

He just shrugged, a small smirk curling at his lips. ''Your turn.''

''Just before I signed with the WWE, I was doing a show with the BCW in Windsor. After the show, everyone went out for a few drinks and there was this sleazy guy who kept hitting on me at the bar. A little while later, I was pulled aside by his girlfriend. After explaining that I had no plans to steal her douchy boyfriend, we started chatting and realized we had a lot in common.''

''Please tell me this ends with your first lesbian experience?''

''No, sorry.'' She laughed. ''Anyway, we spent most of the night bonding and then her boyfriend found us. He was completely out of it and somehow got it into his head that we were all going home together for a threesome. We humoured him and practically carried him outside, we were just going to put him in a cab and send him home...''

''And?'' Jon probed, eager to hear the ending.

''Long story short; the next morning he woke up with the hangover from hell, tied to a tree just outside the bar.''

''You left him there overnight?''

''Naked.''

Jon laughed before a thought suddenly popped into his head. ''Wait, what did you tie him to the tree with?''

''Our underwear.'' She replied casually.

''Awesome.'' He chuckled. ''What happened with the girlfriend?''

She gave a wry smile. ''Jenna and I ended up becoming really good friends, still are. I lived with her up in Canada for a few years until I moved down here after I got injured.''

''Only you could make new friends that way.'' He shook his head. ''Speaking of friends, I know you and Shaul are pretty close, but what about Eddie? What was he like?''

''Eddie was... awesome. Funny, kind, passionate... he had a heart of gold, would do anything for anyone. My Dad told me that people used to call him chilaquil when they were growing up. There's a Mexican dish called chilaquilas, kind of like enchiladas with tortilla chips with spicy meat and sauce... he got the nickname from one of his uncles who said he was just like chilaquilas... a big pain in the ass.'' She chuckled softly.

''Must have been tough when he died.''

''It was.'' Alexa nodded against his chest. ''I, uh, didn't handle it very well... ended up getting suspended for a month.''

Jon's eyes widened in surprise. ''What for?''

''Well, a few months after he died, the WWE were doing an angle between Randy and Oscar... someone thought it would be a good idea to have Randy try to antagonize him by telling him that Eddie was in Hell... Eddie was a devout Christian and he would have been incensed at the thought of someone saying that... it was just completely inappropriate. I spoke to Court Bauer, who was one of the writers at the time, and he said that pretty much everybody had disagreed with the storyline. Vince was the one who pushed for it. Oscar, Benoit and Chris were all pissed and I know Vickie wasn't too happy about it either...'''

''What did you do?''

''Uh, it wasn't my finest moment, but I stormed into Vince's office and pretty much threatened to break his kneecaps.''

''Oh my God...'' He laughed in disbelief. ''What did he say?''

''At first, not much, he just let me go off at him. When I was finished he told me that he understood why I was so upset and apologized, agreeing that it was out of line. Then he suspended me for a month for my behaviour. Only a few people knew about it, everyone else thought I was off on compassionate leave.''

''You know, just when I thought I had you all figured out, you tell me something like that.'' Jon states, amusement crossing his features. ''Anything else I should know?''

Fully intending on blaming the head injury if this blew up in her face, she bit her lip before speaking softly. ''I think I'm starting to care about you a lot more than I should...''


	24. Chapter 24

**Friday 23rd December**

Alexa punched furiously at the hanging punching bag in the gym of the training arena. Her punches were hard and in rhythm with the loud, angry music that was blasting in her ears, courtesy of her iPod. The events of the previous week left her needing an outlet for her frustrations and, besides sex, this was the next best thing.

Irena had been released from the company the day before, she had been on her last warning and the attack on her had been the last straw.

As soon as she had recovered from the concussion, Alexa had found herself reluctantly pulling away from Jon. He had left to travel with the main roster for the week so she had found it surprisingly easy. She had been ignoring all his calls and messages, but he was due back today and she knew he was going to be pissed and wanting an explanation.

And she had no idea what she was going to say to him.

She let out a frustrated grunt as she swung another punch at the bag. Her hands were starting to cramp up from how tightly they were clenched, but she was too angry and upset to care.

Alexa almost had a heart attack when, suddenly, two tanned hands reached out and caught the bag, stilling it in front of her. Tilting her head so she could see around the bag, she found Colby raising an eyebrow at her. She yanked her ear buds out and hit him with a glare. ''What do you want?''

''Whoa!" The man stepped back, holding his hands up in front of him. ''What did you eat for breakfast this morning, bitch flakes?''

She heaved out a sigh, her hand coming up to run through her hair. ''Sorry.''

''Is this about Jon?'' He asked softly, eyes creasing with concern. ''Did you guys have an argument or something?''

''Why would you think that?''

''He's just got back, asked me how you were.'' He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. ''He said he couldn't get through to you on your cell while he was gone... seemed kind of worried.''

That information just made her feel even worse about ignoring him and she could feel her eyes starting to tear up. ''I've kind of been avoiding him.''

''Why? Has he done something?''

''No. I...'' She shook her head frustratedly. ''It's a long story.''

Colby studied her for a moment before asking curiously. ''Are you guys dating?''

"No, we're just friends." The man eyed her suspiciously as she opened her mouth to continue. ''Friends who have sex occasionally...''

Colby's mouth dropped open. ''I knew it! I fucking _knew_ it! Well, not _knew it_ exactly, but I knew there was something I didn't know. Man, this means I owe Claud twenty bucks.'' At her raised eyebrow, he elaborated. ''Ever since he saw the two of you sparring, he's been adamant that you two have something going on, he placed bets with everyone.''

''Brilliant.'' She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling an oncoming headache. ''Absolutely, fucking, brilliant...''

He moved towards her, placing his hands on her shoulders to hold her still. ''Hey, you need to calm down. What's going on?"

''Short version; when I had that concussion and he was taking care of me, I kind of told him I had feelings for him.'' She shook her head as a small smile appeared on the man's face. ''It's not a good thing, Colby! I, uh, I've been avoiding him ever since.''

''Ignoring him isn't going to make it all go away, Lex. You need to decide what you want and then talk to him.''

''Thank you, Dr. Phil.''

''I'm serious.'' The corners of Colby's lips twitched. ''The longer you drag it out, the harder it's going to be on both of you.''

''I know, I know... it's just one big clusterfuck... I just don't know what to do...''

''Just follow your heart.''

She looked over at him incredulously. ''You're starting to sound like a girl, Lopez.''

He looked momentarily offended before smirking. ''You do realize you just insulted yourself?''

''I don't count, I'm one of the guys.''

''That's true.'' He nodded. ''If you were any less feminine you'd have a penis.''

Alexa let loose an unladylike snort. ''I should be offended but I know it's true, so...''

* * *

''If I didn't know any better I'd swear you were avoiding me.''

Alexa had been halfway to her car when his Jon's voice immediately halted her movements. She took a deep breath and steeled herself, turning around to face him with a small smile. ''I don't know what gave you that impression.''

A crooked smile reached his eyes. ''I think we need to talk, sweetheart.''

''Another time, I'm kind of in a hurry.'' She turned away from him and started to walk away. A hand wrapping around the back of her arm thwarted her attempt to flee and he pulled her back firmly. ''What are you doing?"

''I told you, we need to talk.''

''What do we need to talk about?'' She feigned nonchalance.

His arms crossed over his chest. ''Don't pretend you don't know.''

''I don't.'' She shrugged. ''Look, I've got things to do.''

She turned to leave again and Jon let out a frustrated sigh, reaching out and grabbing her hand to pull her back again. ''Stop. I'm not letting you go until you talk to me.''

Alexa shook her head stubbornly. ''I really don't have anything to sa-''

Jon yanked her towards him and pressed his lips against hers before she could finish her sentence. She was non-responsive for a moment but as his hands trailed up her neck, she started to kiss him back. After a few seconds she planted her hands on his chest and lightly pushed him away from her.

''What the fuck, Jon?''

He smirked down at her. ''It was the only way I could get you to shut up.''

Her eyes narrowed into a half-hearted glare. ''I'm not doing this here. Come to mine later, we can talk then.''

* * *

_**On my way.**_

Alexa glanced down at the phone in her hand as she nervously paced around her living room, waiting for Jon's imminent arrival. She was already regretting inviting him over and was seriously contemplating booking it before he got there. A loud knock coming from her front door sounded before she had the chance to make her escape.

Taking a deep breath to try to calm her nerves, she moved over to open the door and he quickly swept past her. She closed the door and followed him into the living room, almost bumping into his back when he suddenly stopped in front of her.

''What are you-''

For the second time that day, he cut her off with his lips.

Knowing it might be the last time they did this, Alexa let herself melt into him. Her eyes fluttered closed and she fisted her hands into his shirt, desperately trying to commit every detail to memory. He pulled away sooner than she would have liked, staring down at her with an intensity she hadn't seen from him before.

''Sorry.'' He muttered, looking anything by apologetic.

She rolled her eyes before slumping down on the sofa, waiting for him to take up the spot beside her. ''I'm, uh, sorry that I've been ignoring you.''

''You going to tell me why?''

Alexa chewed her lip, her eyebrows furrowed in worry. ''I guess I was just trying to put some distance between us before...''

He quirked an eyebrow, asking softly. ''Before what?''

''Look, I... I thought I could do this 'no strings' thing without getting attached, but I was wrong. I like you. _A lot_. And I think we need to stop before it gets too difficult to.''

Jon stared at her for what seemed like hours, his expression giving nothing away. "Okay."

She blinked at him. ''You... you're not pissed at me?''

''No.'' He responded, shaking his head as he sunk back into the sofa. ''It's probably for the best. I mean, I know that I shouldn't really give a fuck that you want to end it...''

''Okay...''

''But I do... I actually give_ lots _of fucks, tons of them... I'm like a prosititute of feelings.''

She chuckled softly at his ramblings before her tone turned serious again. ''I'm sorry. This was all my fault, if I hadn't suggested the whole thing then...''

''You saying you regret everything?'' He questioned, hurt lacing his tone.

''No! I told you, I don't do regrets.''

''Good.'' Jon spoke, his eyes boring into hers. ''Because I don't regret a second of it.''

Feeling her eyes start to water, she turned away from him and let her hair create a curtain over the side of her face. ''We can still be friends though... right?''

''Of course we can. If you can manage to keep your hands off me, that is.''

She let out a quiet laugh, sniffing as a few tears spilled down her cheeks. ''I'll try my best.''

Jon sat up, his hand moving around to cup her cheek and tilt her head to face him. He frowned. ''What are the tears for?''

''I don't know.''

''I'm not going anywhere, okay? We'll still be friends, like we were before... it's just going to take some getting used to, that's all.'' He told her, gently swiping the tears away before leaning over and kissing her.

She sighed, tilting her head back as he brushed his lips over her jaw and down to her neck. ''You're just making this harder...''

He smirked against her neck and paused his ministrations briefly. ''Oh, believe me, I know.''

Alexa groaned, fisting a hand into the back of his hair as his hand travelled down between her legs, rubbing over the fabric of her shorts. ''Jon, we shouldn't-''

He cut off her mumbled protest with his lips as he pushed her onto her back; his knee came to rest between her legs, grinding purposefully against her. ''One last time.''

Her arm shot up and grabbed his head, pulling him down and smashing her lips against his. Within moments, he was buried deep inside her; rocking at a steady pace as she gripped onto him tightly, trying to pull him deeper.

''I'm going to miss this.'' He mumbled into the crook of her neck, groaning as he thrust harder and faster with every breath.

She started to claw desperately at his back as the pressure starting building inside her, angry red marks appearing across his shoulders. ''Fuck, Jon!" She cried, her heels digging into his lower back as she rode the waves of her orgasm out.

He started to increase his pace as she continued to spasm through the aftershocks, her core pulsating around him. She opened her eyes to find him looking down at her; his shaggy hair sticking to his face, mouth hung open in a silent moan. Smirking, Alexa reached up and latched her teeth onto the special spot on his neck that always drove him wild, biting down hard. He managed one last thrust before he pulsed inside of her, falling forward with a gutteral moan.

They remained like that for a while; half-naked, limbs intertwined, his face buried in her hair.


	25. Chapter 25

**Wednesday 1st Febuary**

The past couple of months had been hectic for Alexa, to say the least.

Christmas had seemed to come and go in the blink of an eye.

Since the beginning of January, she had a temporary house-guest by the name of Saraya-Jade Bevis; a twenty year-old girl from England who had recently been signed by the WWE. The office had made some kind of mistake with the apartment she was due to move into, leaving her with nowhere to stay. Alexa had been there when everyone was panicking over what to do and, knowing that her place would only be sitting empty soon, had decided to offer her a place to stay. The two of them hit it off right away. Saraya reminded Alexa of herself; she too had been signed at a young age and both women shared a passion for wrestling which they immediately bonded over.

She thought having Saraya around the house would help take keep her mind off Jon, but she still found herself thinking about him more than she wanted to. After their last night together, things had pretty much gone back to the way they were before. The only differences being that they didn't have sex and they rarely hung out when it was just the two of them anymore, it was always as part of a group.

She didn't want to admit it, but she missed him.

It wasn't even that she missed the physical side of their relationship, although she did. She _really _did. She found herself thinking back and going over things that he'd said or done, and smiling at the memory. After having Jon stay over most nights before they ceased their arrangement, now when she went to bed at night, she became all too aware of how empty it was.

''Lex!"

Alexa quickly dragged her eyes away from the subject of her thoughts, meeting the concerned eyes of Sarona 'Tamina Snuka' Reiher. ''Huh?''

She chuckled at her confused expression, moving over to stand in front of her as she perched on the bench. She had joined several of the FCW guys on their trip to Hard Nocks gym, but after finishing her work-out, had spent the rest of her time staring into space. ''You alright?''

''Yeah, fine. I was just thinking, that's all.'' She replied, sending the other woman a small smile. ''What's going on?''

Sarona turned to face the bench press area where everyone had gathered. ''Oh, Ettore's going to try to bench 575lbs raw, you want to come watch?''

Her eyebrows rose in suprise and she nodded. ''Fuck, yeah.''

She quickly got to her feet and followed her over to where everyone was crowded, noticing there was a small camera crew off to the side filming everything. She was cheering along with everyone else as Ettore, with Joe spotting him, managed to bench the impressive weight. After celebrating for a few minutes; Alexa made a beeline for John.

They spent a little while catching up before being interrupted by an apologetic Colby. ''Hey, sorry, we're heading back now if you need a ride?''

''Sure, I'll meet you guys outside.'' She smiled before turning to pull John into a hug.

''It was nice seeing you, shorty.'' He gave her a tight squeeze. ''Don't be a stranger.''

''You never know, you might be seeing me a lot sooner than you think.''

* * *

''Little Lexi!"

The group had headed straight to the arena after their stint at the gym, walking in to find Claudio walking through the halls someone Alexa hadn't seen in almost ten years. Chris Spradlin aka Chris Hero.

They had met shortly after she joined Ring of Honor. She had just started to become good friends with Phil and Scott and they had dragged her to one of the Chikara events they were performing at. They had teamed up with Chris and dubbed themselves the Gold Bond Mafia as they fought against The Black T-Shirt Squad of Reckless Youth, Mike Quackenbush and Don Montoya. He had a lot of matches with Scott and Phil during the time she was travelling with them and she even had a couple with him herself, so she had gotten to know him pretty well. They had lost contact shortly after she had been signed by the WWE and she hadn't seen him since.

''Holy shit! What the fuck are you doing here?''

Chris laughed at the woman's words, shock clear on her face as he leaned over to wrap her in a hug. As he pulled away, he smiled down at her. ''Nice to see you too!''

''I'm just surprised is all, nobody told me you were coming.''

''I kept it pretty quiet.'' He nodded before looking over the top of her head. ''Hey, guys.''

Alexa stood back as he greeted Jon and Colby, having met and worked with both men during his time in the indies.

''I didn't know you two knew each other.'' Colby stated, gesturing between the two of them.

''Yeah, we met when she first came up.'' He smirked over at her. ''You should've seen her, this scrawny little kid-''

Scowling, she aimed a punch at his arm, much to the amusement of the others. ''I was not _scrawny_.''

''Oh, you were... I'm sure I have some old photos somewhere.''

Colby grinned at him. ''Oh man, you have to find them, I want to see!''

Alexa cocked an eyebrow while shooting Chris a pointed look. ''You show them any pictures and I'll tell them what happened in Indiana after you beat Phil for the IWA:MS World Title...''

The man blanched and turned back to the men. ''On second thought, I don't think I have any photos.''

Jon folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall, watching on in amusement as Colby tried to persuade her to tell them what dirt she had on Chris. While they were bickering, Claudio leaned over to whisper not-so-quietly in his old tag-team partner's ear. ''Is this about the lady-boy?''

Colby and Jon's heads whipped to face them so fast, Alexa was surprised they didn't get whiplash. Chris turned to hit the Swiss with a withering glare as she snorted out a laugh. ''Claud, dude, I'm not sure where you learned to whisper but I'm guessing it was inside a helicopter surrounded by fucking chainsaws.''

Claudio shrugged and gave her a sheepish smile. ''Whoops.''

''Dude, you _have _to tell us now.'' Jon drawled. ''Otherwise we're just going to fill in the blanks ourselves.''

''All I'm going to say is that I didn't actually... uh...''

''Fill in the blank?'' Alexa supplied, drawing laughs from everyone but Chris.

''Well, yeah.''

''That wasn't through lack of trying.''

''Lex!"

''What?'' She shrugged, her lips curling into an impish grin. ''It's not my fault that Davina turned out to be a Dave... though, I fail to see how you missed the Adam's apple... or the stubble?''

''I was wasted!"

''Dude, she practically had a full-on beard!"

''She did not!" He cried, turning to glare at Colby and Jon who were wheezing with laughter. ''I'm so happy you find this fucking funny!"

''Funny, no." Colby disagreed, trying to catch his breath. ''Hilarious, yes!''

''You haven't even heard the best part yet!" Alexa told him, ducking under Chris' arm as he tried to silence her. ''The only reason he found out that she was, in fact, a he, was because-''

''Lex!"

''-he got a bit too 'handsy' at the bar, if you know what I mean.''

This set the two men into another round of hysterics, even Claudio was snorting away as he watched his friend turn beet red. Chris gave them all the finger before looking over at Alexa. ''You're dead to me.''

* * *

**A/N**

****Hope you're all enjoying the story so far.****

**Just a quick note to say thank you to everyone who has left a review. Especially to UntilNeverDawns, tatyasdias and ThatGirl54 :) **


	26. Chapter 26

**Friday 10th February**

''I'm a ninja!"

''No, you're not.''

''Did you see me do that?''

''Do what?''

''Exactly.''

Alexa pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath as she counted to ten in her head. She had agreed to look after the kids for the evening so he and Jess could have the night to themselves. She was only a few hours in and she was already regretting it. ''Why don't you go and watch your sisters while I make us something to eat?'' She suggested, swinging open her fridge to see what food she had in.

Ash shook his head, closing the door and standing in front of it with his arms crossed. ''Dad said not to let you cook. Ever.''

She narrowed her eyes. ''Why not?''

''Bacuse the last time he ate something you made, he was pooping for two whole days.''

Letting out a quiet snort, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. ''I can order us a pizza?''

''Okay.'' He shot her a toothy grin, before rushing off into the living room to join his sisters in their game of hide-and-seek.

After giving the pizza place a quick call and ordering their food, she opened up her messages to find a new one from Joe.

_**We're bored... **_

Alexa frowned, her fingers swiping over the screen as she replied.

_Who do you mean, we?_

_**Me &amp; Jon.**_

_Okay... what do you expect me to do about it?_

_**Come to the bar and entertain us.**_

_You're both big boys. I'm sure you're perfectly capable of entertaining yourselves._

_**Jon said something crude, which I won't repeat... see what I have to put up with!**_

_I would come and save you from his company if I could, but I'm busy._

_**Busy doing what?**_

''LEXI!''

Alexa's head snapped towards the doorway, Ash's sudden panicked yell making her jump. ''What's up, kiddo?''

''Um, Si's stuck in the bathroom...''

* * *

''Lexi!" Sierra cried, banging on the bathroom door. "Let me out!''

''Why won't this stupid fucking door open?'' Alexa muttered under her breath, frantically turning the doorknob and pushing in. She tried again, using more force but the door wouldn't budge. ''SiSi, did you lock the door? Look… look at the doorknob. Did you turn the little lock on the door?''

''Lexi!''

''You have got to be kidding me." She murmured. ''Si, just turn the lock.''

''What's the lock?''

''The thing on the…'' She trailed off, realizing that she didn't know how to describe a lock to a five-year old. ''Fuck, I'm never getting her out of there.'' She raised her voice slightly before addressing the door. ''SiSi, everything's going to be okay! I'm going to call someone to help!''

Alexa quickly walked into her bedroom and pulled her phone from her pocket, dialling Joe's number and waiting impatiently for him to answer. He picked up just before it went to voicemail and she sighed. ''Jesus, could you have taken any longer to answer? Seriously, what if this was an emergency?''

_''Hello to you to, Lex.''_

''Actually, this _is_ an emergency." She said quickly. ''For some reason, Chris thought it would be a good idea to have me watch his demon-spawn kids for the night. Which, let me tell you, is not a shining parenting moment for him and-''

_''Lex, calm down. What happened?''_

Alexa turned to glance at the bathroom and exhaled sharply before admitting. ''Sierra's locked in my bathroom.''

_''What?''_

''Please, don't make me say it again.''

_''Are you drunk, Lex? You do realize 'Sierra' is just a character, you're 'Sierra'...''_

Her face screwed up in confusion. ''What the fuck are you talking about? I... not me, you idiot! One of Chris' girls is called _Sierra_!"

_''Oh! Yeah, that actually makes a lot more sense...''_

She rolled her eyes. ''Look, I know you're out with Jon but... I kind of need you to come over here and help me open my bathroom door.''

_''Why don't you just have her unlock the door?''_

''You think I haven't tried that? Apparently she can manage locking it, but not unlocking it.'' She said in exasperation. ''And my attempt to describe a lock went nowhere, and… could you please just help me?''

_''Alright, alright. We'll be right over.''_

* * *

Ash and Cheyenne were settled in front of the television watching a movie when Joe and Jon showed up about twenty minutes later. Alexa practically pulled them through the doorway before leading them upstairs. ''Thank God you're here. She hasn't been making any noise, I think she might have passed out from excitement.''

''She's probably just sleeping.'' Joe told her reassuringly, running his hand down the seam of the door.

''But she was freaking out before.''

''She probably worked herself up and then got tired.'' At her look, he added. ''I have a daughter, remember?"

Jon leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow at her. ''You are the worst babysitter in the history of babysitters.''

''Fuck you.''

''Lex. Do you have the key for this?'' Joe asked her, pointing at the keyhole in the centre of the knob.

Alexa leaned forward, staring at the small keyhole. ''Huh, I didn't even know that was there.''

''That's a no then.'' He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. ''Unless you want me to barge the door down, I don't know-''

''Got any bobbypins?" Jon cut in.

''That, I do have. They're in…'' She trailed off when she realized what she was going to finish that sentence with.

''They're in the bathroom.'' Jon finished for her. He glanced around, trying to find something useful before looking back at her, his eyes moving to her hair. He smirked, shaking his head.

''What?'' She asked, starting to pat her hair, grinning when she felt the pins there.

''Hand them over.''

Pulling them out of her hair, she dropped them into his palm. He stepped over to the door and Alexa and Joe watched him crouch down and insert the pins into the keyhole. ''No way, you're jimmying the lock?''

''Very observant, sweetheart.'' He replied, his tongue poking out as he concentrated.

''Cool.'' She enthused, watching him intently as he worked.

''Where'd you learn to do that?' Joe asked.

He shrugged, adjusting the angle of the pins. ''When I was little I guess... I got into trouble a lot.''

''Who would've thought; Jonathan Good, the street thug.''

''I was not a street thug.''

''Um, you're picking a lock right now.'' She reminded him. ''That seems pretty street thug to me.''

''I'm picking a lock because you got a five-year old locked in your bathroom.''

''This totally could have happened to anyone. Kids are unpredictable.'' She crossed her arms over her chest. ''Are you almost in?''

''Not yet.''

''Jon-''

''Give me a break, it's been a while since I've done this.''

Joe laughed and stepped towards the stairs. ''Jon seems like he has this under control, I'll got sit with the other two, keep an eye on them for you.''

''You don't have to do that.'' Alexa told him quickly, not really wanting to be left alone with Jon. She still felt a little awkward around him since calling off their arrangement.

''It's cool, you two are giving me a headache anyway.''

She flipped him the bird before he disappeared down the steps, turning back to Jon and leaning against the wall. ''So, uh... sorry that I ruined your night.''

''It's cool.'' He shrugged, glancing over at her. ''How did she get in here anyway?''

''We were playing hide-and-seek. That kid has some mad hide-and-seek skills. Like, she hid in my kitchen cabinets. Freaking ingenious.''

''That doesn't sound very safe...''

She waved off his concern. ''She was fine. Until me and Ash stopped to order some food and she ended up locked in there.''

''Did they name her after you?''

''What?''

''Sierra. Was she named after you?''

''Oh, yeah, she was.'' Alexa smiled fondly.

Jon cast a surprised glance at her, raising his eyebrows. ''I didn't realize you guys were _that _close.''

''He's like my brother, I love him to death. Jess too. I don't know what I'd do without them.''

''It's... ah, I got it.'' He said as the lock suddenly made a soft, clicking noise.

He opened the door and she peered over him to find Sierra curled up on the floor, her thumb in her mouth. ''Oh thank God, she's alive.''


	27. Chapter 27

**Friday 17th February**

''We're going to be shutting down FCW in a couple of months.''

Alexa's eyes widened and her face took on a look of disbelief as she stared at the couple sitting across from her. ''Are you shitting me?''

Stephanie just shook her head with an amused smile as a light snort escaped her husband. ''I'm not shitting you. We're going to be completely re-branding it as NXT wrestling, and moving all the weekly tapings over to Full Sail University.''

''We're also setting up a centre over in Orlando for everyone to train.'' Stephanie told her. ''26,000 square feet... its own sports medical facility, seven training rings, strength and conditioning programs, edit and production rooms for people to practice promos and commentary... it's going to be huge.''

Alexa smiled, the other woman's excitement was infectious. ''That actually sounds pretty amazing... when's all this starting?''

''Well, the performance centre will be finished by July, hopefully. And we'll be moving over to Full Sail in August sometime.''

She listened intently as they went into more detail about the plans for the developmental system, sparing a glancing down at the papers in her lap. They had originally ventured down to FCW for a meeting with her; bringing with them a date for her return and some scripts for her to go through.

_March 19th._

The date that had been nearly four years in the making. They were easing her in gently by having her get involved with the Punk/Jericho feud, then after Wrestlemania she would be thrown into a storyline with Beth Phoenix.

''It's normal to be nervous.''

Her eyes flicked up to Stephanie's, who was looking at her sympathetically; she quickly squared her shoulders. ''I'm not nervous.''

''You're going to be fine.''

* * *

''What the fuck are you doing?''

Alexa glanced over the top of Colby's head, her eyes meeting Jon's as he sauntered through the doorway of her living room. ''Please, come in.'' She muttered sarcastically.

''You're the one who left the door wide open.''

Colby shot her a sheepish look. ''No, actually, that was me.''

''Seriously, what are you doing?'' Jon asked, reaching out to flick the other mans hair.

The Iowan knocked his hand away. ''Don't touch it.''

Alexa grabbed hold of Colby's head to keep it still as she scowled at Jon. ''Knock it off, can't you see I'm trying to do something?''

Jon held up his hands defensively as he took a step back. ''Do you even know what you're doing?''

''Of course I do.'' She replied. ''I dyed Chris' hair pink once as a prank.''

Colby's eyes widened and he spun around to glare at her. ''You said you'd done this before!"

''Technically, I have.''

''Oh my God.'' He groaned, closing his eyes as Jon laughed. ''All my hair's going to fall out...''

Alexa rolled her eyes and slapped the back of his head with the brush. ''Calm down, princess, it's going to look fine.''

''Hey, Colby? Why didn't you get your girlfriend to do it? You know, an _actual _professional?''

''She's down in Texas visiting family.''

''And you couldn't wait until she come back?''

''Fuck you, Jon.''

She smothered a laugh as they pair started bickering, only just realizing how much she was going to miss this when she headed back on the road. The front door slammed closed just before Saraya walked inside, glancing around her in surprise. ''What's going on?''

''I'm helping him dye his hair, he wanted a new look.''

''Ah.'' The woman nodded, smirking over at them. ''Uh, will you be giving him a manicure too?''

Jon snorted and high-fived her as she dropped into the seat beside him, Alexa rolling her eyes at them as she carried on her handiwork. ''Well, at least he's making an effort and trying to change his look.''

"I have changed my look, I'll have you know."

''How?''

''I've let my chest hair grow out...'' He trailed off, meeting her eye with a smug look.

Saraya and Colby each made a face of disgust as Alexa bit her lip, remembering their conversation from a few weeks ago and feeling a blush work its way up her cheeks. She tore her gaze away from him and stepped away from the man in the chair, placing the bleach and brush on the table next to her.

''All done, Colb. We just have to leave it on for fifteen minutes before we wash it out.'' She quickly put her hands on his shoulders as he started to rise from the chair, forcing him back down. ''If you get bleach on my carpet, I will kill you.''

* * *

**Thursday 8th March**

Despite Stephanie's request that she keep her departure quiet, Alexa knew she couldn't just up and leave without telling her friends. She had told Shaul almost as soon as she got home from her meeting with Stephanie, the younger woman was beyond excited for her friend. Saraya had also known for a while, since she would be living in Alexa's house she kind of needed to be aware what was going on.

Shortly after arriving at the arena that morning she accosted Darren, Colby, Jon, Joe, Matt and Ettore; dragging them into an empty office so nobody else could overhear them.

''What's this all about, Lex?''

Alexa bit the inside of her lip, trying to figure out the best way to go about filling her friends in on the news. "Well, I've been trying to decide if I should tell you guys or not... I was told to keep it quiet but I couldn't leave without saying goodbye...''

''You're leaving?!''

''I don't know why you shouted that, do you have to be so dramatic?'' She cocked an eyebrow at Colby.

Darren stepped forward and immediately enveloped her in a tight hug, whispering in her ear. ''Knew you could do it, petal.''

She grinned and tightened her arms around the older man. ''Thank you.'' He planted a quick kiss on her temple before releasing her and she turned to the others. ''You think you guys can behave without me?''

Matt's lips quirked into a smirk. ''Please, you're the one whose a bad influence on us.''

''Yeah, you're totally the ringleader.'' Ettore agreed, his face breaking out into a smile. ''We're really happy for you, right guys?''

''Of course!" Colby agreed, moving forward to sweep her up in his arms. ''This is awesome... Group hug!''

They all crowded around her, embracing her tightly for several moments before breaking apart, Joe keeping an arm wrapped around her shoulder as he asked. ''So, how soon are we talking?''

''I fly out to Philly on the 17th...''

Colby let out a long whistle. ''Shit, pretty soon then, huh?''

''Yeah, tell me about it.'' She laughed nervously. ''I've known I was going back for a while but only got the date last week. It's all a bit surreal.''

Joe ruffled her hair affectionately. ''You'll be fine, babygirl.''

''Any idea what you'll be doing when you go back?'' Colby quizzed her.

''Yeah, it is rather strange they've decided to have you come back right before Wrestlemania. Surely, it would've made more sense for you to appear at the Raw after, that's always the best time to do surprise returns.'' Darren mused.

''Unless, you're going to be having a match at Wrestlemania...'' Joe looked down at her with a questioning look.

She shook her head, laughing. ''I haven't got a match... look, I've already told you too much, Stephanie didn't want me to say anything to anyone. You need to keep it on the down low, got it?''

After everyone promised to keep it a secret, the group soon dispersed; heading off to continue doing whatever Alexa had dragged them away from. She turned around to follow them out, jumping slightly when she found Jon lurking in front of the door.

''Oh, I thought you left with the others.''

''Nope.'' He smirked, taking a few steps forward to stand in front of her. ''So, you're really going back, huh?''

''Is it weird that I kind of don't want to?''

''Yes.'' He shot back instantly, making her chuckle. ''You'll be fine once you get back out there, stop over-thinking it.''

She chewed her lip absently before looking up at him. ''I... uh, I never thanked you, not really.''

''For what?''

''Helping me.'' She gave him a tender smile. ''Being a good friend and kicking my ass when I needed it. If it wasn't for you, I don't think I would've had the balls to get back up there.''

''Lex, you've got bigger balls than most of the men I know. You would've done it eventually, I just...'' He shrugged. ''Gave you a little shove, that's all.''

''But still, thank you.''


	28. Chapter 28

**Sunday 18th March**

Her house was pitch black when Alexa pulled into the driveway, making a frown appear on her face. Saraya was home so she should be able to see the light from the living room through the glass on the front door, but everything was in darkness.

She had been over at Chris' house. He was on the road at the moment so she had ventured over to visit Jess and the kids, spending some time with them before she, too, left to join the tour.

Yanking her phone out of her pocket, her eyes skimmed over the text the Brit had sent her a little while ago.

_**You need to get home ASAP, emergency!**_

She exited the car and made her way over to the door, swinging it open and tentatively stepping inside. ''I swear to God, 'raya, if the _emergency _is you being drunk and trying to swing from the ceiling fan again-'' Alexa was forced to stop her rant when she was almost blinded by the lights suddenly flickering to life.

_''SURPRISE!''_

''Motherfucker!" Alexa almost tripped over at the sight of Ettore, Matt, Shaul, Saraya, Joe, Colby and Darren grinning at her from inside the foyer. ''I hate you guys, you know I don't like surprises! What if my heart exploded from the shock and I died!"

Colby rolled his eyes and repeated a phrase similar to the one she had uttered to him several days before. ''Stop being so dramatic.''

Her eyes wandered over everyone with a small smile; everyone there had become like family to her in the past year or so, it was really strange to think she'd be leaving them in two days. Before she could dwell on her thoughts, a pair of arms latched around her neck and pulled her into a tight hug. ''Was this your doing?''

Shaul beamed proudly at her. ''Yep.''

''Uh, no.'' Saraya joined them, narrowing her eyes at the Latina. ''I helped too.''

''Fine, she did help.'' She admitted with a shrug. ''But it _was _my idea.''

''You do realize that I'm still going to be around, just not as much as usual.'' Alexa pointed out. ''You didn't have to do all this.''

''We all know how hard you've worked for this, Alexa. We had to mark the occasion somehow.'' Darren piped up with a smile.

She pulled him into a hug, burying her face into his chest to hide her teary eyes. ''I'm going to miss you guys.''

* * *

''Hey, uh, why didn't Jon come tonight?''

The 'party' didn't last very long.

Citing old age as his excuse, Darren had been the first to leave after giving her a warm hug and promising that he would see her on Tuesday. Smackdown and NXT were both being taped the night after Raw in New Jersey; Darren would be there as part of his role as commentator. Ettore and Joe followed shortly after, both men having early training sessions the following morning. Colby and Matt had left not long ago, telling her they would watch Raw and come and visit her as soon as she got back to Tampa later in the week.

Alexa glanced over at Shaul expectantly, waiting for a response. ''I don't know, he just said he was busy.''

''Oh...'' She mumbled, taking a long sip of her beer. Her heart sunk and for some reason, she felt a sting of rejection wash over her.

''Are you and Jon... you know, together, or something?'' Saraya looked over at her curiously.

''No.''

''Pfft. I call bullshit.''

Alexa and Shaul shared a look before the former turned her attention back to the British woman. ''Why?''

''Because it's totally obvious.''

''We're friends, that's it.''

''Friends my arse.'' Saraya scoffed. ''I'm willing to bet a hundred that you're doing him.''

''Saraya!" She cried, reaching over to slap her on the arm as Shaul cackled from the chair in the corner.

''What? Come on, spill. I know you must have hit that, at least once.''

''Oh, it was more than once.'' Shaul supplied with a grin.

''I knew it!" Saraya declared with a smirk. ''Friends don't look at each other the way you two do.''

''It wasn't serious, we were just having fun.'' Alexa told her softly. ''We said we were going to stay friends, but obviously not since he didn't want to come tonight.''

''Maybe he was busy, like he said.'' Shaul tried to reassure her.

She glanced down at her phone before raising an eyebrow. ''It's almost midnight, what could he possibly be busy doing right now?''

''Text him.''

''And say what, exactly? _Hey Jon, I'm pretty pissed at you for not coming to say goodbye before I leave and I think it's because I might be I'm in love with you..._''

Saraya rose her eyebrows while Shaul let out a happy whoop. ''I fucking knew it!''

The comment earned her a glare from Alexa, who could feel her face turning a deep red. She couldn't believe that she'd just blurted that out. Sighing, she leaned back against the sofa and screwed her eyes closed. ''Shit.''

* * *

**Monday 19th March**

Alexa sat in her rental car, drumming her onyx-painted nails on the steering wheel as she tried to calm her shaky nerves. Raw was being held at the United States Wells Fargo Center that night and she had been parked up outside for the last twenty minutes, trying to force herself to go in.

Glancing over at the clock on the dash, she checked the time before sucking in a breath and opening the door. After collecting her bags from the trunk she started to make her way towards the entrance, her sunglasses thankfully covering her eyes as they nervously darted around the area.

''Holy shit! Lex?!''

Alexa froze and a smile creeped across her face as she turned, finding John Cena behind her with a confused look on his face. ''Hey, Johnny.''

''What are you doing here?''

''I said you might be seeing me sooner than you'd think.'' She replied with a smirk, the pair continuing their walk inside the arena.

''You're back for good?''

''Yep.''

A beaming smile broke out on his face and he slung an arm over her shoulder, pulling her into an awkward sideways hug as they walked. ''That's great! I'm really happy for you, Lex.''

''Thanks.''

''So, what are you going to be doing?'' He asked. ''There's no women's matches tonight as far as I'm aware, except for the one being taped for Superstars...''

''You'll just have to wait and see, like everybody else.''

After parting ways with John, she checked in with Stephanie and Paul before asking one of the crew members to help her find her way to the dressing room she would be sharing with Chris and Phil. The three of them were sharing for that night only, so they could go over the script for the night and make sure everyone knew what they were doing.

Since she was the first one there, Alexa took the time to quickly change into her outfit for the night. Since she wasn't actually going to be doing any in-ring work tonight, she was pretty much free to wear what she wanted. She had decided on a short skater dress which was white with a pattern of black flowers dotted all over it. Over that, she had on her leather jacket and her trusty Converse were on her feet.

She ventured out of the room briefly to head to the make-up department and when she came back, face done to perfection, Chris and Phil had arrived.

They spent some time going over their scripts, each adding their own ideas, before they started to tell her about some of the original plans for their feud. Some of which had been vehemently quashed by Vince and the creative team.

''Yeah, so I wanted to legit tattoo my initials on him. Vince initially loved the idea and approved it, but he eventually changed his mind.''

Phil nodded. ''I loved the idea, I was pretty pissed when he nixed it. He said that I've already go so many tattoos, what's one more going to do?''

''I said, 'you don't understand, a tattoo is a personal choice.' It's like a girl who has a lascivious lifestyle and has sex every night, that's her choice... but if someone rapes her, then that's wrong. Same with tattooing; I tattoo my initials on him, he's got a thousand, but he's still going to always see that in the mirror.''

''Vince still didn't like it, so we kind of had to sit down and literally right before the show where we were going to do the tattooing, we kind of went into the whole Punk's dad is an alcoholic issue.''

''You guys are completely crazy!"

''What? We didn't actually do it.''

''Only because Vince said no!"

''We-''

Phil was interrupted when a loud knock echoed through the room, the door opened and a stage hand peered around. ''Guys, show starts in twenty. Alexa, Punk, if you two head down to gorilla and Chris, if you come with me and I'll show you where you need to be.''

The Canadian nodded and rose from his seat, giving Alexa's shoulder a firm squeeze as he passed her. ''Good luck, killer.''

She laughed. ''Thanks.''

As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Alexa turned to face Phil. ''Please tell me I'm not making a huge mistake by coming back? I'm worried about not delivering what people expect... what if I suck?''

''You're right, you are making a huge mistake.''

''Phil!" Scowling, she threw out leg, smirking when it connected solidly with his shin.

He rubbed his leg with a wince but carried on his teasing. ''Everyone's going to laugh at you, well, the people who even remember who the hell you are, that is. Or maybe the entire crowd's going to be sitting in silence as they try to figure out who you are.''

Alexa paled as he spoke, the words coming from his mouth were exactly what she was scared off. She didn't have the chance to respond as he carried on, hitting her with a serious look. ''Alexandra Torres. For as long as I've known you, you have never doubted yourself. Not once. Don't fucking start now, okay? I know you can do this and you know you can do this.''

* * *

**RAW**

_Face stern and lips set in an angry line, CM Punk made his way down to the ring._

_''Well, I can assure you that CM Punk is not in a good mood.'' King commented from ringside. ''After, well, Chris Jericho dropped a pipebomb on Punk!"_

_Michael Cole spoke up as the WWE Champion climbed into the ring in front of him. ''Ladies and Gentlemen, the WWE universe has been buzzing about the situation between CM Punk and Chris Jericho on Twitter.''_

_The man inside the ring started pacing as the titantron played a clip from last week, when Chris Jericho revealed to the world that Punk's father was an alcoholic._

_''Right off the bat I want to let everybody know, that Chris Jericho's not here tonight.'' He held up an arm to put a stop to the boos that erupted at his revelation. ''Which goes to show you exactly the kind of man Chris Jericho is. But, at the end of the day, him not being here; it's a gift. Because Chris Jericho pissed me off... last week, Chris Jericho, in front of the entire world, he said that my father...''_

_Punk trailed off, taking in a deep breath as he looked around at the crowd who were showing their support; his name echoing through the arena as they chanted._

_''In front of the world, Chris Jericho said that my father is an alcoholic... hey, and you know what? I'm not sure it was supposed to be some sort of a big secret, certainly those close to me know it to be true. But it's not Chris Jericho's story to tell, it's none of his business! And, it's not so much that he said it, or how he said it... but the fact that he said it in front of the entire world. And here I am, standing in front of a live audience, millions of people watching around the world and I'm, basically, on front street, under a microscope, I'm naked for the whole world to see.''_

_A few wolf-whistles could be heard through the loud cheers._

_''I look out here and I see everybody. I see little kids. I see grown-ups. Parents. Brothers. Sisters. There's not a person in this building right now- or sitting at home- that hasn't been somehow been negatively affected by the disease of alcoholism!'' He nodded at the crowds cheer of approval. ''I'm not going to let Chris Jericho's words swindle some little kid into thinking that because life dealt him a crap hand, that he can't somehow shake it off and still be destined for greatness! He wants to make light of a serious subject, all because he wants to get in my head and under my skin for some sort of advantage at WrestleMania? Chris Jericho wants to play head games, and he wants to somehow say that I'm pre-disposed to to drink? That it's in my genes? That I crave alcohol? That just goes to show that he doesn't know me, at all! And it backfired, Chris! It's backfired because if there's a devil in my DNA, it's now your problem. And at Wrestlemania, if there's a monster inside me, I'm going to let that monster out! I refuse to let my past dictate my future. There isn't a person on this planet that should let a past nightmare, dictate or cloud their future dreams! Chris Jericho forgot to tell you the finish of that story. And that's that my father has worked extremely hard, just like dozens, and millions of people around the world, and he has overcome his addictions. He has beat his demons! He doesn't want you to know the facts, and here is the most important part; I am proud of my father!"_

_He paused in the ring, taking in the cheers with a small smile, before continuing. ''I am proud of my father and I am proud of the fact that I am straight edge, because it's real! And it comes from the heart! And it's true! And it's tattooed on my skin for a reason! Because it's what I believe. I'm proud of being straight edge and I'm proud of my father and all the obstacles that he's overcome and Chris Jericho, that's exactly what you are to me. You're an obstacle. You can go around an obstacle. You can jump over an obstacle. Or I could be like you and I could dig a hole, I could crawl under that obstacle. But I'm here to let you know that at Wrestlemania, you Chris Jericho, are my obstacle and I'm going straight through you! To prove, once and for all, that I am the BEST IN THE WORLD!''_

_The mic dropped from his hands and the roar from the crowd dampened the sound of his music. He stepped over to the ropes and made to climb though them, when his music suddenly cut and a voice called out._

_''Punk! Punk!''_

_Chris Jericho appeared up on the screen, the audience instantly breaking out in jeers at the sight of him._

_''Punk! Listen to me.''_

_CM Punk leaned his forearms on the top rope, his eyes fixed on the man on the screen._

_''I want you to listen to me! I... I didn't think it was right for me to be there tonight, I didn't want to face you in person. I want you to really listen to what I have to say, I want you to really hear this. Because, um, all the points you've been making right now, are right. I was out of line for what I said last week and I'm sorry. And, this is Chris talking to you right now. There's no Jericho here, there's no fancy jackets or bravado... it's me and, uh, I was out of line. I crossed into territory that I had no right to cross into. It was none of my business, like you said, I should have never brought it up and I am... I'm sorry. I apologize to you, and uh, I hope you accept my apology. I can promise you I'll never say anything about your father on this show again. I'm giving you my word on that...''_

_Punk was staring up at the screen, an unsure look on his face as the crowd booed, clearly not trusting the man's words._

_''However... your sister... that's a whole other ball game, isn't it?''_

_Punk glared up at the screen, shouting 'no' angrily as the booing started to get even louder._

_''Oh, come on, Punk. I found out all about your sister's substance abuse problems-''_

_CM Punk quickly picked up the discarded microphone. ''Chris, shut up! What are you talking about?!''_

_''It's well documented your sister has problems with drugs and, as anybody knows, drug addicts will do whatever they can to score their fix. Anything. And I'm sure you're still proud of her, I'm sure you still love her just like you claim you're proud of your father. But, come on, seriously, there's a pattern starting here, Punk! Your father's an alcoholic, your sister's a drug addict and you're going to end up just like them. It's inevitable. Punk, you're going to drink, it's your destiny. And it's a good news, bad news situation, Punk. because the good news is substance abuse and alcoholism can be overcome... it can. Bad news, when I beat you at Wrestlemania and become the new WWE Champion... that's something that you'll never overcome... Ever.''_

_A murderous expression took over Punk's face and he slowly raised the microphone to his lips but he was cut off, the opening riff of unfamiliar music starting to play. _

_**She takes to the spotlight**_

_**To the stage**_

_**You can tell she craves it by the look on her face**_

_**Everyone can't help but stare away**_

_The crowd broke out in confusion as 'Rock n' Roll Queen' by Skarlett Riot blared through the arena speakers, even CM Punk was looking up the ramp curiously._

_**She's a diva and a rocker 'til some followers see**_

_**You're gonna watch her move**_

_**And watch her groove**_

_**But she steals the show**_

_**You're gonna get down low**_

_**She's a rock n' roll queen**_

_The cheers were deafening when Sierra finally emerged from the curtain, sauntering out onto the stage._

_''It's... oh my God, that's Sierra!'' King exclaimed in surprise._

_''Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first time we've seen Sierra in almost four years!'' Michael Cole informed the audience. ''Ever since she accident in which we saw her tragically break her neck.''_

_The woman in question was making her way down the ramp, her eyes locked on the ring and a stoic look on her face. The corners of her lips started to quirk up slightly upon hearing the ear-splitting chants of 'Sierra' rang around the huge arena. Sending the camera a wink as she walked past, she quickly jogged up the steel steps and ducked through the ropes._

_''Now, don't get me wrong, I'm happy she's back... but what is she doing here?'' King wondered. _

_Cole spoke up from beside him. ''I'd hazard a guess that it has something to do with those two men. She's good friends with both of them, it can't be easy to just stand back and watch this all unfold.''_

_CM Punk eyed her with a look of confusion as she approached him, raising an eyebrow when she held out her hand expectantly. The cheers from the crowd were still going strong and, shrugging, he placed the microphone into her hand. Sierra smiled up at him before turning to face the bewildered man up on the titantron. _

_''Chris Jericho, clearly just as shocked as we are to see Sierra here today.'' King pointed out._

_The music faded out and she waited for the noise to die down before she slowly raised the mic to her lips. ''So... I think it's safe to assume you're all pretty surprised to see me here tonight?'' _

_CM Punk nodded across from her as they crowd voice their agreement._

_''I came out here for two reasons.'' She stated, holding two fingers up in the air to emphasize her point. ''First of all, I wanted to tell everyone that, obviously, I'm back- ''_

_Her voice was drowned out by another round of thunderous 'Sierra' chants vibrating through the air. She ducked her head down, smiling softly as Punk clapped from the other side of the ring._

_''Thank you... now, the second reason I came out here tonight... Chris Jericho, I need you to tell me something...'' She copied Punk's motion from earlier, leaning her forearms on the rope as she stared up at the screen in front of her. ''When did you become such a little bitch?!''_

_The crowd went wild and the man in the ring let out a loud laugh._

_''I don't think Sierra's very happy with Jericho right now!'' King chuckled._

_The Canadian glowered at her, spitting angrily. ''How dare you? Why are you even-''_

_She held up and hand and quickly cut across him. ''Shut up, I'm not finished... I think everyone here knows that I'm pretty good friends with both of you, or at least, I thought I was. For the past couple of weeks, I've sat at home and watched you try to pick apart Punk... trying to, like he said, get under his skin... throw him off his game. And instead of saying all these things to his face, you chose to do so from behind the safety of a camera... Punk was right; you not being here tonight does show everyone just what kind of man you are... you're nothing but a pathetic, spineless coward!''_

_''Shut the hell up!"_

_King let out a loud snort from ringside. ''Looks like the tables have turned, Sierra's the one getting under his skin!''_

_Sierra smirked before she spoke again. ''Chris, you said that it's __inevitable for Punk to go down the same road as his family... I disagree... the only inevitable thing about this whole situation is the huge ass-kicking you're going to get at Wrestlemania! And that brings me to the second reason I came out here tonight, to make an announcement... I'll have front-row seats for said ass-kicking because, at Wrestlemania... I will be the special guest referee for your match!"_

_''What!?" King cried as the crowd roared in approval._

_Michael Cole scoffed. ''How is that fair?''_

_She dropped the microphone to the canvas, a dull thud sounding just before her new entrance music started up. Sierra and Punk shared a high-five in the ring before stepping through the ropes, heading up the ramp with his arm slung over her shoulder._

* * *

''Oh. My. God!'' Alexa squealed loudly as she stepped backstage. ''That was fucking awesome! Did you hear that crowd?"

''I know, looks like they remember you after all.'' Phil laughed, scooping her up in a hug as she launched herself at him. ''Welcome back, kiddo.''

''That was great, guys.'' Stephanie McMahon nodded approvingly as she approached them. ''It's like you've never been away.''

Pulling away from Phil, Alexa beamed up at the older woman. ''Thanks, Steph.''

The older woman nodded before handing her a thick wad of paperwork. ''You're not booked for any of the live events after the Smackdown taping tomorrow, so you'll have time to go through all this when you get home. It's your schedule for the next couple of weeks, I know we said we were going to ease you in gently... but based on the reaction tonight, I think we'll probably be adding more to that.''

Alexa glanced at Phil who just shrugged before turning back to her boss. ''What do you mean?''

Stephanie grinned, pulling her into a one-armed hug. ''I haven't seen a live crowd pop like that in years! And you're currently trending worldwide on Twitter.''

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. ''Seriously?''

''You should take a look, maybe send out a tweet to-'' Stephanie's head whipped to the side, her name being called through the backstage area cutting off whatever she was about to say. Turning to face Alexa, she offered an apologetic smile before backing away. ''Duty calls!"

* * *

''Holy shit, have you seen this?'' Alexa spoke, scrolling through her Twitter news feed in shock.

Chris had been waiting for them in the locker room with an excited smile on his face, the man enveloping her in a tight hug almost as soon as her and Phil had walked in. They spent a few minutes going over their promo; nitpicking at things they could have improved on or done differently, but overall they were all happy with it.

The two men laughed from across the room, watching as her eyes lit up with all the comments she was reading. Stephanie wasn't lying; #Sierra and #Sierra'sBack was trending worldwide and she had been inundated with supportive comments from the fans. She decided to read through them all later and quickly composed a new tweet.

_ RealSierra: I'm back, bitches!_

''Since we're done for the night and it's not like we have to rush to New Jersey, you guys want to go grab a Starbucks or something?'' Phil asked, looking between the pair.

''Starbucks? You mean over-priced Tim Hortons without doughnuts?'' Alexa scrunched her nose in distaste. ''I'll pass.''

Chris snorted out a laugh and shared a high-five with her.

''Canadians.'' Phil tutted with a small shake of his head. ''What about IHOP? I think I passed one on the way in?''

* * *

Half an hour later and they were sitting in the restaurant, laughing and joking while they ate. ''This is better than sex." Alexa moaned as she took another bite of her chocolate chip pancakes.

Phil guffawed before taking a gulp of his drink. ''Jesus. You must be going through a dry spell."

Chris levelled her with an amused look, opening his mouth to bite out a witty retort. Quickly swallowing her mouthful, she sent a warning look his way which immediately silenced him.

''Oh, hey, did I tell you that I got my tour bus?'' Phil spoke up, missing the exchange between his companions.

''Only, like, a gazillion times.'' She rolled her eyes teasingly. ''I get it, you're all fancy now.''

''You won't be wanting any rides in it then?'' He smirked, shoving another forkful of food into his mouth. ''

''Well, I didn't say that...''

''I thought Kofi was your road wife?'' Chris asked.

He shrugged. ''I can have two.''

''That's how it starts, Philip. Soon you'll have a whole hareem and-'' She was cut off when she felt a gentle tug on the side of her shirt. ''Are you Sierra?''

Everyone turned to the source of the voice, discovering a little girl standing just beside their booth. She must have been about nine or ten and was dressed in one of her old t-shirts.

Alexa nodded, shuffling her body around to face her. ''I sure am.''

The girl bit her lip nervously, eyes dancing around the other occupants of the table. ''I...''

''Oh, don't mind them.'' She said softly, leaning down to whisper in her ear. ''I know they look really scary, especially him-'' Her thumb jerked towards Phil, who responded by poking his tongue out at her. ''-but they're not, I promise.''

The girl let out a giggle and nodded. ''You're my favourite.'' Her eyes shone with excitement as she slowly held out a notebook and marker. ''Can I have your autograph?''

''Of course.'' She grinned at her and took them both from her, leaning the book on her lap as she flipped it open to find a blank page. ''What's your name?''

''Emma.'' She replied excitedly. ''I'm going to be just like you when I grow up!"

Alexa looked over at her and paused in signing the book. ''You are, huh?''

She nodded eagerly. ''Yeah! You kick ass.'' The guys around the table chuckled as the girls eyes widened and she looked around frantically. ''Don't tell my Mom I said that.''

''I won't, don't you worry.'' She reassured the girl before signing the page, closing it once she was done and handing it back to her.

''Thank you so much!''

Alexa grinned, giving the girl a little wave as she bounded off towards the table where her family were seated.


	29. Chapter 29

**Thursday 22nd March**

''So, how was everyone? I know you must have missed me terribly, but it seems you survived."

"Just barely... Shaul called me every night sobbing." Saraya said dramatically, shaking her head. "It was quite tragic."

Alexa snorted and turned as she heard someone call out to them, smiling when she saw Colby and Matt heading their way. Having nothing else to do, she had decided to tag along with her housemate to the FCW show that night. ''Hey, guys.''

Both men gave her a quick hug, Colby was the first to speak. ''We watched the show, you were great.''

''Thanks. It was awesome, I really didn't expect the crowd to react like that.''

''Yeah, they popped hard.'' Matt nodded, smirking as he wiggled his eyebrows. ''You looked pretty hot too.''

Colby sighed, shaking his head in disapproval. ''Seriously, dude?''

''What? I can't appreciate a good-looking woman when I see one?''

''Just wait until you see my new ring-gear.'' She teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

''Hey, have you read all those rumours about them closing this place down?'' Saraya suddenly asked her.

''What?''

''It's all over the dirt sheets.'' Matt supplied. ''You heard anything about it?''

''Uh...''

Colby quickly spoke up. ''Are we still on that? Paul already released a statement saying it's a load of bull.''

Saraya shrugged, a defensive look crossing her features. ''I was just asking.''

They all turned to look expectantly at Alexa, who sighed. ''You didn't hear this from me, okay, but FCW _will _be closing down in a few months and-''

''What?!"

''Seriously?''

''Are you kidding?''

''Jesus, calm the fuck down!" She hissed, looking around to make sure nobody had heard their panicked shouts. ''They're just rebuilding the whole developmental system, not getting rid of it completely, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Trust me, it's going to be amazing when it all comes together.''

* * *

_In the words of an immortal New Orleans bounce music legend circa 1998, ''Follow Me Now.''_

Alexa's eyes skimmed over the words on her screen, glancing up at Ettore with a chuckle. ''Awesome, dude. I'm glad you finally popped your Twitter-cherry.''

''I learned it in the Twitter class we had yesterday.'' He told her sarcastically.

After the show that night a few of them had decided to head to the local bar; the first round of beers had been downed quickly and before they knew it, they were on their fifth round. Claudio, who had never been out drinking with her before, was being very vocal in his surprise at how well she was handling her alcohol.

''You shouldn't underestimate her, man.'' Colby warned, swiging his beer.

She shot a sly grin in his direction. ''Yeah, didn't I beat you in a drinking contest?''

''Hey, I _let _you win.'' He corrected haughtily.

''Sure you did.''

Ettore stared across at him. ''Dude, after you barfed, you stood in the toilet and tried to flush yourself into the ministry of magic." The table erupted into laughter at the revelation; Alexa taking great delight in Colby's embarrassment, until Ettore turned to her. ''And you... you were such a mess that Jon had to practically carry you home. He told me that when you walked past a hobo who had a scraggy white beard, you hugged him, and said 'Dumbledore, I'm so glad you're back'.''

Everyone laughed again and Alexa scowled at Colby. ''That was your fault.''

He laughed. ''What?''

''Remember? We were arguing over what the best Harry Potter book was when you decided to challenge me to a drinking contest. It obviously stuck in our minds...''

''Takes two to tango, baby.''

''I'm going to go piss.'' Jon announced, pushing the chair back and rising to his feet.

Colby and Claudio started to try to goad each other into another drinking contest, Ettore making occasional comments to rile them up. But Alexa wasn't really paying them any attention, fiddling with her beer bottle as her thoughts turned to Jon.

He had been ignoring her for almost two weeks now, ever since she'd called a few people together to tell them about her return. Well, she assumed he was ignoring her, that's what it felt like to her. She had sent him countless texts and tried to call, receiving nothing in response. That morning she had bumped into him in the hallway, Jon had just mumbled an apology before quickly walking away from her.

And tonight, he hadn't even so much as looked at her.

''So, Lex, when are you leaving again?'' Matt asked.

''I'm heading to Atlanta on Monday for Raw. Then I've got a flight back here right after the show. Then two days off before all the Wrestlemania press starts.''

''You doing Axxess?'' Ettore piped up.

''Yeah, Phil and I are doing a signing together on Thursday. You guys are all going to be around, right?'' Alexa grinned, seeing the excitement in their eyes as they nodded. ''What about the Hall of Fame?''

''Yeah, I think we're all going.'' Colby told her. ''I'm betting we'll get stuck at the back in the cheap seats...''

''Do you have a date, Lex?'' Claudio questioned.

''Pfft, no. I'll probably just tag along with Chris, I think I'm sitting next to him anyway.''

''What colour's your dress?'' Ettore and Colby turned to look a the Swiss incredulously, who shrugged. ''What?''

''It's black.'' Alexa informed him with a laugh before finishing off her drink and standing. ''I'll leave you ladies to talk fashion while I go to the bathroom.''

''What for?'' Matt asked cluelessly.

''To open the Chamber of Secrets... what do you think?" Smirking, she grabbed her purse and patted Matt lightly on the head before making her way towards the toilets. Luckily, there was only a small line and she was in and out within a few minutes. She had just taken a few steps when her eyes landed on something that ruined her whole night.

Jon was leaning against the wall just outside the men's bathroom; a leggy blonde wrapped around him as she whispered something in his ear. Alexa felt nausea start to rise when she watched his hand slide further down her back, but she couldn't stop herself from staring. She knew she had no right to feel jealous; she had been the one who cut him off and even before that, they were free to do what, or who, they wanted. If he wanted to sleep with some random skank he met in a bar, he had every right to.

As if sensing her gaze on him, Jon glanced up, locking eyes with her. She saw a flash of surprise across his face before he schooled his expression into one of nonchalance, turning back to the woman in his arms.

Alexa gritted her teeth together, feeling tears start to pool in her eyes as she quickly backed away, making a beeline for the exit.

''Lex!" She spun around to find Colby jogging after her, his eyes full of concern when he saw her face. ''Are you okay?''

Avoiding his gaze, she nodded and tried to force a smile on her face. ''I'm fine, I'm just heading home.''

He frowned, brows furrowing in confusion. ''Why? What's wrong?''

''Nothing.'' She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, biting down hard to try to stop herself from crying. ''I just… I just want to leave.''

''I don't understand...'' Colby trailed off as she glanced over his shoulder, turning around to see what had caught her attention. His jaw tightened when she saw Jon and some woman pressed up against the wall by the restrooms. ''Lex, look-'' He turned around, only to find that she'd already left. ''Shit.'' He muttered, running a hand through his hair as he grudgingly made way back to the table.

''What happened to Lex?" Claudio asked as he sat down. They had all seen her darting towards the exit before Colby had ran after her.

Ettore leaned forward. ''She alright?''

''She's fine.'' Colby told them, offering a small smile. ''She just went home, said she wasn't feeling too good.''


	30. Chapter 30

**Monday 26th March**

''Why is that in girls tampon commercials they dance and laugh? Shouldn't they be revving chainsaws and burning shit down?''

''If men had periods our commercials would be awesome…''

Alexa snorted as she listened to Jason and Chris run commentary on the commercials. She had arrived in Atlanta that morning, along with Chris. Since they were only going to be there for the show they didn't bother booking rooms, instead they joined Jason in his; the three of them sprawled out on the twin beds watching TV to kill some time before they headed over to the arena.

Well, the men were watching, Alexa concentrating on the Twitter conversation she was having with Ettore.

_ RealSierra: Everytime I walk over a sewer grate I look down, hoping to catch a glimpse of a Ninja Turtle._

_ RealSierra: I also like how the Ninja Turtles wear masks. Good way to hide your identity, it's not like you're a giant turtle or anything._

_** WWEBigE: Turtles suck. They have one huge weakness.**_

_ RealSierra: Their slowness?_

_** WWEBigE: No... They can't roll back over when they're on their backs.**_

_ RealSierra: So, if you taped two turtles together, they'd be unstoppable, right?_

_** WWEBigE: You, lady, are a genuis!**_

_ RealSierra: I am aware, thank you._

''What are you grinning at over there?''

Her head snapped up to meet Jason's amused eyes. ''Just something on Twitter...''

''Not texting lover boy?'' Chris asked with a smirk.

The other man turned to look between them curiously. ''Lover boy?''

The stony look of indifference on her face made it perfectly clear she didn't want to talk about it. So, before Chris undoubtedly opened his big mouth, Jason quickly changed the subject. ''Uh, so, Lex... have they told you what you'll be doing after the Punk/Jericho angle's over?''

''I think they're planning on having me feud with Beth.''

''For the title?''

Alexa shrugged. ''I hope not, I've only been back five minutes, doesn't really seem fair to the other girls.''

Chris snorted loudly. ''Have you _seen _the other girls?''

''They're not all bad.'' She said, a small smile working its way onto her lips. ''Layla, Nattie, Eve, Victoria... and the new girls coming, Celeste and April are pretty great.''

Jason smiled. 'You've been around for a lot longer and worked a lot harder than most of them, it's not like you don't deserve it.''

''So, have you finished your speech for Adam's induction yet?'' She asked, trying to change the subject.

''I've barely even started it.'' The man groaned, running a hand through his short hair. ''I know exactly what I want to say, I'm just having a hard time putting it all into words. I want it to be perfect, you know?''

''I'm sure it will be, man.'' Chris smiled over at him.

Alexa nodded. ''Adam's your best friend. I think anything you say will be perfect, as long as it comes from the heart.''

* * *

**RAW**

_''Eve's going up!" Booker T observed, the woman in question climbing to the top rope._

_Michael Cole nodded. ''There she goes. We've seen Eve do this in the past...''_

_''If she lands this then it's one, two, three. Trust me!"_

_''Watch out, Kelly, watch out!" King called._

_Eve went for the moonsault, only for Kelly to roll herself out-of-the-way, causing her to hit the canvas with a loud bang._

_''And Kelly looking to take advantage!" Michael cried._

_The blonde quickly rolled Eve up, Beth screaming from the outside as she scored the pinfall. The bell sounded and the crowd let out a cheer as she was declared the winner. The cheers quickly turned into boos as Beth climbed into the ring, hitting Kelly with a cheap shot from behind._

_Booker sighed as he watched the two women double-team the blonde. ''Well, this is uncalled for!" _

_''I'm inclined to agree with yo-''_

_An ear-splitting cheer cut through the air as Sierra suddenly slid into the ring. She took down Eve with a hard clothesline, the latter rolling out of the ring as Sierra lunged at Beth; taking her down with a Lou Thesz press. _

_''What's Sierra doing here?!" King screeched._

_She landed a few punches to the Champion's face before pulling her up by her hair and pushing her into the ropes. Beth ducked under the clothesline heading her way, bouncing back off the ropes with one of her own. Sierra anticipated the move though and hooked her arms around Beth's outstretched one; flipping herself around and reversing into a hard DDT. _

_Glancing around at the raucous crowd, she raised and eyebrow and pointed over to the corner, the cheers steadily getting louder as she inched her way to the turnbuckle._

_Booker chuckled. ''I think we all know what we're about to see here! The-" _

_''DeltaWave!" King finished for him._

_Sierra grinned as she climbed to the top and positioned herself, checking Beth was still down before she jumped; flying through the air and landing a perfect corkscrew shooting star press. She moved to the far end of the ring, gesturing for one of the stage hands to pass her a microphone as the crowd suddenly started chanting. _

_**'You've still got it!' **__Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. __**'You've still got it!'**_

_Sierra raised the microphone to her lips, smirking as she addressed the crowd. ''Ladies and gentlemen... I never lost it.'' _

_The commentators laughed at her comment, watching as she slowly moved over to the Champion's prone form, standing over her with a smirk. _

_''Beth, I just wanted to give you some advice. You should really make the most of being the champ while you can. Because after Wrestlemania... I'm coming for that title!''_

* * *

_''We have Christian against CM Punk up next and joining us on commentary for that, is Sierra!" King announced as Raw came back from commercial break._

_She waved at Jerry 'The King' Lawler, Michael Cole and Booker T as she slipped into the seat beside the latter, accepting the headset that he held out for her. She settled it onto her head and adjusted it so it was comfortable, before smiling at the two men. ''Hey guys!"_

_Booker returned her smile. ''Thank you for joining us.''_

_''Why are you joining us?'' Michael asked, eyes shifting from the woman to the ramp as Christian made his entrance._

_''Don't be so rude, Michael.'' Booker admonished._

_''Yeah, we usually just get your ugly face all night so it's nice to have something pretty to look at!" _

_''Thanks, Jerry.'' Sierra laughed. ''I'm just here to watch the match. These are the best seats in the house after all. ''_

_''So, we learned last week on Raw that you've been appointed the special guest referee for the WWE Championship match between Chris Jericho and CM Punk.'' Michael started. ''Now, don't you think it's slightly unfair? I mean, you're obviously good friends with Punk so won't that put Jericho at an instant disadvantage?''_

_''Are you insinuating that I won't call the match fairly?''_

_''Well, yes...''_

_''I may be one hundred percent on Punk's side in this whole... drama... but Chris used to be my friend too. Just because I disagree with everything he's been doing recently, doesn't mean I'm going to screw up the match for him.''_

_''So, what you're saying, is that you're going to call the match straight down the middle?''_

_''Yes.'' Sierra stated firmly._

_''Leave her alone, Cole, she came out here to enjoy the match, not listen to you waffle on.'' Booker told him._

_**Look in my eyes, what do you see?**_

_**The cult of personality**_

_The people at the commentary table carried on with their conversation as the Champion started to make his way to the ring._

_Michael ignored him. ''And what about Beth Phoenix? Did she deserve the unprovoked attack earlier tonight?''_

_Sierra didn't miss a beat, responding quickly. ''That depends, did Kelly Kelly deserve a beat down after fairly winning the match?'' _

_''Maybe I should've jumped in to help, might've earned me some bonus points.'' King commented thoughtfully._

_She smirked. ''I don't think she's your type, King. She's not inflatable.'' Booker snorted at her comment as she continued. ''Beth is extremely talented but the problem I have with her is her attitude; she thinks she's better than everyone else.''_

_King laughed. ''Well, she sure looks just as good as she wrestles.''_

_Sierra rolled her eyes. ''I highly doubt how she looks has any bearing on her wrestling abilities, Jerry, which is what you should be commenting on.''_

_''I thought you didn't like her?''_

_''I don't, I think she's a raging bitch, but there's no denying her in-ring abilities.''_

_She avoided his gaze of disbelief and glanced over at Booker, who shot her an approving smile. They descended into silence and focused their attention on the ring. CM Punk was stood on the turnbuckle, holding his title belt above his head when Chris Jericho suddenly flashed up on the screen behind him. _

_''Punk! Punk, over here!"_

_''Oh, no.'' King muttered._

_Sierra sighed heavily. ''Here we go again...''_

_The Chicago native turned to face the screen, scowling when he set eyes on the man who had antagonized him for weeks._

_''Listen to me, Punk. You claim to be the best in the world, but we know that's not true. At Wrestlemania, despite you having an unfair advantage, what with the biased referee and all... I am going to beat you and I'm going to become the new WWE Champion. And I'm going to expose you as the fraud that you are, once and for all. And, not just as a professional fraud, but as a personal fraud as well. I've already exposed the deep, dirty secrets about your dysfunctional family. Your father is an alcoholic. And your sister... well, she's got problems with substance abuse, doesn't she? But, I've also found out some new information that's come to light. You see, I've done a little bit more digging and I've found out some facts about your mother... It turns out your mother's actually a kind, decent woman with no vices whatsoever. Congratulations, Punk, there's finally someone in your family who's not an embarrassment. But, I did find out one little piece of interesting information. And that's that your parent's wedding date actually took place AFTER your birth date. So, that makes you... the legal definition of a bastard!''_

_''What an- oh, no!"_

_Using the man's distraction as advantage; Christian attacked Punk from behind, quickly gaining the advantage as the match got underway._

_''Even you have to admit, Cole, that Jericho is hitting way below the belt.'' King said softly. ''What is Jericho thinking?''_

_''It's called laying it on real thick, right there.'' Booker replied. ''Making it personal.''_

_Christian continued to taunt the man in the ring before yanking him to his feet and throwing him through the ropes. Punk landed next to the commentary table with a thud, the crowd booing heavily._

_''How can Punk's head be in this match?'' King wondered._

_''Well, he just needs to suck it up." Booker offered. ''And do it quick!"_

_Punk lashed out as the Canadian approached him, landing a hard kick to his leg. Christian collapsed to the floor, clutching at his shin as the other man stalked over to him. _

_Sierra clapped. ''There we go!"_

_Punk connected with a hard fist before dragging the blonde over to the table, grabbing the back of his neck and slamming his head down on it repeatedly._

_''Punk, just unloading on Christian!" Micheal cried, all four of them standing back as he continued his assault._

_The referee's pleas for him to stop were ignored, Punk now grinding his opponent's head into the top of the table. He eventually stepped back, letting Christian turn around before aiming another kick, this time towards his head._

_''Whoa!" Booker said, shocked._

_Christian fell forward, hitting the table once more as he crumbled to the ground. _

_''Well, that may have been Christian's head that CM Punk's ramming into our announce table, but you know it's Chris Jericho he's thinking of!" King said._

_''CM Punk has lost his mind! He's lost his mind!" Booker shouted, watching in shock as Punk mounted another vicious attack on the fallen man. ''Referee! Get in there and do something!''_

_The referee tried to intervene only for Punk to drop his hold on Christian and advance on him instead. He backed him up in the corner by the announce table before stalking over to the steel steps, moving them away from the ring post. Punk was seething; his face red and his eyes screwed up in anger. He bent down and hoisted Christian up onto his back like he was going to give him the GTS._

_''I think you're right, Punk is going to do something real bad here!" King cried._

_''He's your friend!" Michael looked over at the woman beside Booker. ''Can't you do something?!''_

_Rolling her eyes, Sierra yanked the headset from her head and moved around the table to where Punk was carrying Christian over towards the steps, shouting nonsense about Jericho. _

_''Stop it! You've done enough, Punk, come on!" She pleaded._

_''Move.''_

_''No!"_

_She had no choice but to jump out of the way as Punk threw the other man head-first onto the steel steps. Not happy with that, he then locked in the anaconda vice on the fallen man. _

_''This is you, Jericho!" Punk spluttered angrily. ''This is you!"_


	31. Chapter 31

**Tuesday 27th March **

Alexa's eyes snapped open and she glanced over at the alarm clock. _04:18_. An annoyed groan escaped her lips and she closed her eyes again. She had arrived home only a few hours ago, finding the house empty and a note from Saraya telling her that she was visiting some friends. Since she had nobody to talk to, she decided to head straight to bed to catch up on some sleep.

She was just starting to drift back off, wondering what bad made her wake up in the first place, when she heard a noise from downstairs.

**BANG**

Her eyes shot open and she lay in silence, beginning to think she had just imagined it, when it happened again.

**BANG.**

Swearing softly under her breath, she quietly climbed out of bed and moved over to her closet; reaching inside and wrapping her fingers around the baseball bat she kept in there. She tip-toed out onto the landing before cautiously creeping down the stairs. She walked silently towards the kitchen, her stomach dropping when she saw that the door was slightly ajar.

Alexa remained motionless, just staring at it as she tried to think of a plan. Her eyes widened when it suddenly swung open and, without thinking, she reared back and swung the bat as hard as she could.

She heard a loud, male shout of surprise followed by a loud crack as the aluminum connected with the door frame, the man leaping back just in time to avoid getting hit.

''Jon?'' She breathed, slowly lowering the bat to her side. ''What the fuck are you doing?! You scared the shit out of me!"

''Jesus, woman, you're the one with the fucking bat!"

''What...'' Alexa just gaped at him silently for a few moments, before rubbing her eyes with a heavy sigh. ''How did you even get in?''

''The back door was open.'' He shrugged nonchalantly, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

''Okay... and, what, you just took that as an invitation?'' She shook her head in disbelief. ''What do you even want?''

''I just wanted- no, needed to see you.''

''Are you joking?'' She let out a derisive snort. ''We were meant to be friends, Jon, but you've ignored me for the past two weeks, what could possibly be so fucking important you had to break into my house?'' She rambled, her voice getting louder the more she spoke. ''Or did you just bang another chick and wanted to brag about it?''

''Please, stop talking.'' Jon's voice was low as he stepped towards her.

Her eyes blazed. ''No! You don't tell me what to do. Especially when-''

She was quickly silenced when Jon grabbed the back of her neck and crashed his lips against hers hungrily. It took her sleep-addled brain a few seconds to register what was happening and, out of pure stubbornness, she flattened her palms against his chest in an attempt to push him away.

But it was like pushing against a brick wall.

He tightened his grip on her neck and she realized she was fighting a losing battle. Deciding it was one she didn't really want to win anyway; Alexa kissed him back with the same burning need, whimpering into his mouth and clinging onto the bottom of his t-shirt.

''Jon." She breathed when they pulled away. ''What...''

Jon's hands dropped down to her shoulders, where they held her as he looking at her intently. ''I want you.'' He stated simply.

She blinked up at him. ''You came here... because you want sex?''

''No!'' He shook his head. ''No... well, yes, but not just that. I want _all_ of you. It's not just about the sex anymore.''

She took a step back, a bemused expression sweeping over her features. ''Bullshit.''

''...What?''

''How can you expect me to believe you when the last time I saw you, you were practically dry-humping some random girl at the bar?''

''I only did that because I was trying to forget about you!" He growled, running a hand through his hair. ''I never expected to get so attached... but I did, and now I don't want to let you go.''

''I-''

''Let me finish... look, I'm not an easy person to be with, I know that. It'll be a challenge. I'm not the kind of person who lets people walk all over them. I don't put up with bullshit. I'm not the kind of guy who will give you sympathetic comments... when I say something, I mean it. If people treat me like shit, I throw them out of my life. I can be a dick at times and I can be the world's biggest jerk. I'll make you want to scream and punch walls. I'll drive you crazy and sometimes, you'll hate my guts. But, even though all that's going to happen, and it will... I'll _always_ be there when you need me. I won't stop caring about you, even when you try to push me away...'' He started straight at her, his blue eyes full of sincerity. ''I'm not good at much, but I will be good to you.''

Alexa took a shaky breath and dropped her gaze, her mind instantly flooded with all the reasons why she should refuse. But, for the first time, she found herself ignoring them and remembering what Colby had told her.

_''Just follow your heart.''_

The man in front of her had somehow managed to sneak his way around every wall she had spent the last four years building; and she was glad he had. Looking back up at his hopeful expression, she couldn't find the words to express herself. Instead, she jumped towards him and claimed his lips in a fiercely passionate kiss. He was taken off guard but quickly reciprocated the action, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer.

After several moments wrapped in each other's embrace, he abruptly pulled away, looking down at her unsurely. ''So, uh, is that a yes?''

She nodded slowly, chuckling as the corner of his mouth quirked into a lop-sided little smile. ''You're an adorable motherfucker, you know that?''

''Yeah?'' He raised an eyebrow. ''Well, I guess now I'm _your _adorable motherfucker.''


	32. Chapter 32

**Wednesday 28th March**

''I did tell them six, right?''

''You did.''

''Did you also hear me warn them that I'd kill them if they were late? They know I've got to do that stupid press conference at twelve... fuckers.''

Alexa rolled her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat, sighing impatiently as Jon chuckled beside her. They were parked just outside of the FCW arena, waiting for Colby and Claudio to arrive before they headed to Miami.

''I'm sure they won't be long.'' Jon told her as he leaned over, pressing a kiss to the side of her neck.

''What are you doing?'' She arched her neck, giving him room to trail his lips up to her ear. ''Didn't you get enough of that yesterday, Romeo?''

''I'll never get enough when it comes to you.''

Her breath hitched as she felt a his teeth nipping her earlobe as his hand moved across to gently squeeze her thigh. ''Jon, they could be here any minute.''

''So?'' He murmured, pulling away from her slightly before capturing her lips.

Things got slightly out of hand and within a few minutes, he had somehow managed to pull her out of her seat and tugged her leg over his lap so she was straddling him. She let out a soft moan as his hands worked their way under her shirt, burning hot against her skin.

_''BOO!"_

Alexa let out a shriek as something suddenly slammed into the car door, her and Jon both turning their heads simultaneously to find Colby and Claudio laughing at them through the window. She scrambled off of Jon's lap and out of the car as quickly as she could, lunging towards the two men. Claudio had the good sense to jump out of her reach but Colby wasn't so quick and received a light smack upside the head.

''You guys are assholes!"

Claudio laughed as he stepped towards them. ''You should have seen the look on your face.''

''For a second there, we thought we might need to get a hose on you two.'' Colby quipped, darting out-of-the-way as she reached out to hit him again.

''I knew it.'' The Swiss smirked, holding out his hand. ''You owe me twenty bucks, Lopez.''

With a roll of his eyes Colby slipped a note from his wallet, but before Claudio could take it, Alexa sprung forward and snatched it from the other man's hand.

''Hey!"

Jon looked between them in confusion. ''What's going on?''

''Claudio placed bets with everyone over whether or not we were banging.''

Claudio had to good grace to look embarrassed. ''Not 'banging' per se...''

A smug grin curled at her lips as she shoved the money in her pocket and shook her head, tutting. ''I should make you walk to Miami.''

''You wouldn't, you like us too much.'' Claudio shot her a charming smile as Colby gave her his best puppy dog face.

''Just put your shit in the trunk.''

The two men did as she asked, tossing their cases in the trunk as she moved around the car to jump back into the driver's seat.

''So, are you two, like, official now?'' Colby asked as she slipped into the backseat.

''Yep.'' Alexa nodded, grabbing the cord from the glovebox and attaching her iPod to the car speakers.

Claudio grinned behind her. ''That's great, guys.''

Jon and Alexa shared a small smile as Colby poked his head forward between the seats. ''Hey, who said you get music duty?''

She cocked an eyebrow at him. ''Driver picks the music. Deal with it.''

''But-''

''If you don't shut up, I'll put Lady Gaga on shuffle for the journey. I know how much you _love _her.'' Alexa grinned triumphantly as Colby let out a groan and flopped back in his seat. ''I don't know why you're complaining, you don't even know what I've got on here...''

''The fact that you even have Gaga on there does not bode well.'' He grumbled.

She quickly scrolled through the playlists and when she got to her driving mix, hit the shuffle button. Pearl Jam's _Alive _started playing and she glanced up in the mirror to find Colby nodding in approval. Smirking at him, she buckled up and pulled out of the parking lot

* * *

''Dude, you're singing the wrong words!''

''No I'm not, I'm making a remix.''

Claudio had been asleep for the past hour and not even Colby and Alexa's rousing rendition of Sweet Child o' Mine had stirred him. Jon laughed at the bickering pair, shaking his head. ''Hey, Lex, can I drive?''

''No.''

''Then would you?''

Her eyes focused on the road and she swore, seeing that they were starting to veer off into the next lane, quickly turning the wheel to the right. She snorted when she saw Claudio jolt awake, his head banging lightly against the window. ''Sorry, Claud.''

''That's alright... was that you I heard singing?''

''Uh, yeah.'' She replied, feeling a blush creep up her neck.

''You've got a really nice voice.''

Alexa shot a smile at him through the mirror. ''Thanks.''

''I'm surprised Vince didn't try to cash in on that and make you record an album or some shit.'' Jon laughed.

Colby snorted from the back. ''Yeah, do you remember when Cena released his? What a joke.'' He stifled a laugh as he leaned between the seats. ''Hey, remember back when John was still doing his 'Thuganomic' gimmick? And Lex had a rap battle with him?''

* * *

_**30th September 2004 - Smackdown!**_

_''Who's this, Tazz?'' Michael Cole questioned, hearing the unfamiliar music blast through the arena. _

_The crowd was silent for a moment before loud cheers went up, Sierra emerging from behind the curtain with a grin._

_''It's Sierra, Cole!" Tazz told him, confusion lacing his tone. ''But she's drafted to Raw, what's she doing here on Smackdown?"_

_The other man shrugged. ''I'm sure we'll find out shortly.''_

_The woman in question sauntered down the ramp, clapping the hands of a few fans as she went. She smiled at the warm reception and climbed into the ring, grabbing a microphone from one of the men at ringside. She paused, waiting for the cheers to die down, before moving it up to her lips. ''Hello Texas! It's great to be here tonight, but I'm pretty sure you're all wondering why I'm here.''_

_''Two weeks ago on Raw, Sierra lost a match.'' Cole informed the audience. ''The stipulations of the match were that if Sierra were to lose, she had to leave Raw while Triple H remained the World Heavyweight Champion.''_

_''Obviously, I'm not drafted to Smackdown... But, Teddy Long made me a pretty sweet deal, and, as from tonight, I'm an honourary member of the Smackdown roster.''_

_''Well, I guess Raw's loss is Smackdown's gain.'' Tazz commented over the loud applause of the crowd._

_''I-''_

_**So... you think you're untouchable...**_

_The cheera got even louder and Sierra turned around, finding John Cena making his way down to the ring. Raising an eyebrow, she crossed her arms over her chest, shooting the man an unimpressed look as he slid into the ring. _

_John did his Word Life sign before asking for a microphone. ''Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo!" He started, moving around to circle Sierra. ''What do we have here?" He asked, looking her up and down. ''You're kinda young to be in this ring, unless of course, you're representing playboy magazine." _

_Rolling her eyes, she mouthed. ''Shut up!''_

_''Ooooh, a feisty one too.'' A shit-eating grin appeared on his face. ''Okay. Welcome to Smackdown-'' He cut himself off when he saw her hold up her hand. ''You wanna say something? Alright. Ladies First.''_

_''Listen, I heard you talk a lot of trash here on Smackdown. Wonder what kind of trash you talk, gimme the lowdown.''_

_John laughed. ''You rap? Well, Listen, this ain't nonya business, you're just a girl maybe even less.''_

_''Hey, I did my homework. If it wasn't for your bling bling on WWE you'd end up a sales clerk.''_

_''Listen miss-I-got-my-tits-''' John started. _

_''Listen here, I'm not the bitch.'' Sierra interjected._

_''You think you got guts-''_

_''I know. I know. SO CHOKE ON THESE NUTS.'' She faked a yawn before continuing. ''Is that the best you got for me? You ferret-faced CLB.''_

_''CLB. No I'm not-''_

_''I know your game and how you play it. I know you're nervous, you just can't say it. You think you're so great as a matter of fact. You're just some white dude pretending to be black. You know that I have the game. But you don't clearly know my name. I'm Sierra, the new bitch on the block. When you rap around me, it's you who sucks. So stop being an arrogant prick, with a giant MOBY DICK!''_

_Tazz chortled from ringside. ''Oh my God...''_

_''I.. wait, you think I got a Moby Dick?'' He asked seriously. _

_''I know everyone's in favor of you, John Cena. The next US Champion of this Arena. I agree one hundred percent... but you still owe thirty bucks for that g-string rent.''_

_He looked at her, impressed. ''You're a pretty good rapper for a girl.''_

_''The one and only in the world.'' She told him smugly. _

_''I mean, you got the looks AND the body. Way, way hotter than Scottie 2 hottie. Welcome to Smackdown, Sierra." _

_Sierra waved her hand in front of her face, in the same way he usually did. ''Well, you can't see me 'cause I'm already gone. One more thing, go ahead and sob.'Cause I already cancelled all your daily blow jobs.''_

_The crowd cheered and she looked over at John expectantly. _

_He fumbled around for words before letting out a laugh. '''Well, it seems that I've actually been punked out by a girl... Seeing as how I lost and all... what's my consolation prize?''_

_Sierra dropped the microphone to the canvas, rolling her eyes as she walked over to John, stopping right in front of him. She teasingly leaned forward like she was going to kiss him before she turned at the last second, her lips landing on his cheek. She walked over towards the ropes, sending him a wink before hopping down off the apron and walking up the ramp._

* * *

''Oh my God...'' Alexa groaned, remembering exactly what he was talking about. ''I think that was the single most embarrassing moment of my career... and I've been in mud wrestling matches, so that's saying something!"

Colby and Jon were sniggering while Claudio just looked confused. ''What are you talking about?''

The two-toned man turned to face him with a laugh. ''I'll find it on YouTube, I'm sure it's on there somewhere...''

''How do you even _remember _that?'' She quirked an eyebrow at his reflection in the mirror. ''It was years ago...''

He shrugged, not meeting her gaze. ''I guess I just have a good memory.''

Jon snorted, shifting in his seat to face the man behind him. ''More like you used to have a massive crush o-''

''Jon!'' Colby cried, his face flushing a deep red as he reached forward to clip him around the back of the head.

''I don't blame him, I used to be pretty hot back then.'' She teased.

''Used to be? Babe, you're still hot. In fact, I think you've probably got even hotter, if that's possible.'' He chucked lowly, watching as she turned as red as the man in the back.

''Just to be clear; I _didn't_ have a crush on you, Lex.'' Colby told her seriously. ''I was just... a fan, I guess? I don't know, you were, are, one of the only female wrestlers in the WWE that really stood out to me. You weren't just there to be eye candy and I liked what you did in the ring, probably because it was pretty similar to what I did.''

She smiled warmly. ''Thanks, Colb, that means a lot.''

* * *

''So, how was it?''

They had made it to Miami about an hour before the Wrestlemania press conference started, leaving Alexa more than enough time to shower and change. There had been one slight panic when she realized that Phil was nowhere to be found; instead of booking a hotel room, he had offered her one of the bunks in his bus which she had happily accepted. Luckily, Jon and Colby had let her dump her bags in their room and use their bathroom.

An hour after she rushed out of their room, she returned, flopping face-first onto one of the beds in the room. ''Apart from some woman offering Phil a hundred bucks to take his shirt off, pretty boring.''

Jon smirked over at her. ''Nobody asked you to take yours off?''

''Sadly, no. I would've happily done it though, it was sweaty balls hot out there.'' She groaned. ''What time do you guys have to be at Axxess?''

''Not for a couple of hours yet.'' He replied, glancing down at his watch. ''Why?''

''Just wondering if I'll be able to squeeze in a quick nap.'' She murmured from the pillow.

''Why don't you just stay here?'' He suggested, the bed sinking slightly as he sat beside her. ''Technically, you don't even have to be there, you haven't got anything going on until tomorrow.''

''I know, but I want to watch your match.'' Alexa grumbled petulantly.

He quickly slipped off his jeans and slid into the bed, tossing back the covers and patting the spot beside him. ''Come here.''

She tucked her legs under the sheet and shuffled over, pressing her face into his neck as he wrapped his arms around her. ''Mmm, you smell good.''

A low rumble spread through his chest as chuckled. ''If you want to sleep then go for it, I'll wake you up when it's time to go.''

* * *

''Urgh...Colby, what the fuck, man?''

Alexa didn't know how long she slept, all she knew was that she was woken by a sudden weight falling on her legs. Jon's husky voice told her that he must have fallen asleep at some point too, the same thing having just woken him. Glancing down, she stifled a giggle; Colby had obviously returned to the hotel room and found them and was sprawled across them, his head resting on her thigh and his lower body covering Jon's legs.

''I hope you guys aren't naked under there.'' He told them. ''Otherwise this would be awkward.''

''We're not naked.'' Jon growled. ''Get the fuck off.''

Colby nuzzled his head against her thigh. ''Nope. I'm actually pretty comfortable here.''

Alexa smirked as the man next to her huffed in exasperation. ''Well, two hot men in my bed... guess I can cross that off my bucket list.''

Jon smirked, his mouth opening ready to make some crude comment. Colby, anticipating this, swung his arm up to slap his hand over the other man's mouth. He missed completely and his hand ended up landing on Alexa's chest, much to her amusement.

''Colby!'' She snorted out a laugh as Jon quickly shoved his hand off of her. ''You totally just got to second base...''

''Shit, sorry.''

''It's cool, next time you can buy me dinner first.'' She teased.

Jon raised an eyebrow, glancing down at the man with a playful look of warning. ''There better not _be _a next time.''

Alexa chuckled and pushed herself up to plant a kiss on his cheek, Jon had other ideas. He slipped his hand into her hair and gently captured her lips; she felt her eyes flutter closed as she let out a contented sigh.

"Let's keep it PG kids." They reluctantly pulled apart at the obnoxious voice, turning to glare at Colby who was beaming at them. ''Oh, hey, did you tell Lex your news?''

''No.'' Jon shot him a glare. ''I was waiting until later.''

''What news?'' She asked, looking curiously between the pair.

''I had a meeting with John Laurinitis today. He wants me to start travelling with the main roster and do some dark matches before the shows.''

She let the information sink in for a few seconds before beaming at him. ''That's great!''

''I'm super jealous.'' Colby told him with a smile.

''It's a start.'' Jon said cooly. ''It doesn't mean anything, not yet.''

''Just do your thing, man. They'll see how great you are and then you'll be on the main roster in no time.''


	33. Chapter 33

**Friday 30th March**

''Fuck off…" Alexa grumbled, swiping at her phone to put a stop the incessant buzzing that had disturbed her much-needed sleep.

She had forgotten how hectic the week before Wrestlemania was. She had spent almost all of Thursday at Axxess; her signing with Phil had gone on for several hours before they had moved on to shoot some behind the scenes footage to . Along with being able to interact with the fans, the other good thing about Axxess was that she was able to catch up with people she usually wouldn't get the chance to. Adam was around doing appearances leading up to his Hall of Fame induction, so it was nice to get the chance to spend some time with him. Amy was also around doing a few appearances, although she had seen a lot of her recently because she and Phil were dating again. And she had also been able to get to know some of the newer faces a little, which was nice.

Jon let out a loud groan when he felt her attempt to drag herself out of bed, his arms reaching out to wrap securely around her waist. She managed to shuffle herself around in his arms so she was facing him and softly pressed her lips to his. Still being half-asleep, he was unresponsive at first but he soon woke up, his tongue coming out to lazily tangle with hers.

''Mornin'.'' He greeted when they broke apart.

''Morning.'' Alexa smiled, moving over to rest on his chest as he idly ran his fingers through her hair. ''I _really_ don't want to get up.''

He chuckled softly, looking down at her as she nuzzled into his chest. ''We could just stay here all day?''

''Hmmm. I wish I could but I've got interviews all day.'' She grazed her fingers over his fine layer of chest hair, slinging a leg over his hip and moving over so she was straddling him. ''Did I tell you how much your chest hair turns me on?''

He shifted against her, his hands holding her in place as he ground against her; the growing hardness between his legs hard to miss. Smirking, she dipped down to capture his lips softly, her hands planted either side of his head to keep herself propped up above him.

''You might have mentioned it...'' Jon sucked in a sharp breath as she moved down to his neck, biting down gently. ''Once or twice.''

He eventually had enough of her teasing ministrations on his neck, he pushed her up so he could cover her mouth with his own. Their lips crashed together, her nails lightly raked down his chest; the man groaning into her mouth as they scraped over his nipples. He tugged at the hem of her tank top, yanking it upwards. They separated briefly as he pulled it over her head; Alexa quickly ducking back down to bite at his lip, his hands making a grab at her bared chest.

She caught his hand before he could make contact, pinning it above his head along with his other hand. He could have easily resisted but he simply raised an eyebrow at her actions, content to let her be the one in control. He watched intently as her lips trailed down his chest, the grip on his wrists loosening as she moved further down his body.

Jon's lips parted in anticipation as she reached the sizable tent in his boxers. He let out an impatient growl as she slowly slipped the material down his hips, her eyes met his with a smirk before his erection finally sprung free. He let out a strangled moan as she gave it a tentative lick before starting to lavish it with attention.

Alexa kept her gaze firmly locked on his, a smug feeling flooding her as she took in his laboured breathing and the glazed look in his eyes. She kept bobbing up and down just the way he liked it, his hand moving down to tangle in her hair as she quickened the pace.

After a few more minutes she pulled away from him, quickly sliding off her panties and moving up his body, planting her hands on his muscular chest to support herself as she straddled his hips. She cocked her head to the side, watching him with rapt attention as she held herself above him teasingly.

Letting out a growl, he gripped her hips; a desperate moan escaping Alexa's lips when he pulled her down, thrusting up into her roughly. Leaning her forehead against his, she caught her breath before she started moving; rising up before slowly lowering herself back onto him and squeezing her inner muscles tightly around him.

Jon felt as though he might explode as she continued her frustratingly slow pace, grunting out a plea. ''Quit teasing.''

He caught her by surprise with a deep plunge and she let out a moan, her eyes clenching shut as her fingernails dug into his shoulders as he moved his hand to where their bodies met. Her moans grew louder as he slowly thumbed her swollen clit, her thighs trembling as she got closer.

''Seeing you come apart like this, so fucking hot.'' He mumbled, applying a little more pressure to her bundle of nerves.

She panted heavily. ''Jon...''

He clasped a hand at the back of her neck, pulling her lips down to his as he thrust with everything he had. Within seconds, her orgasm ripped through her body and a loud, guttural moan fell from her lips. Her walls tightening around him made sure he followed moments later, the man biting down hard on Alexa's shoulder as he came. His arms wrapped around her back as she collapsed against his damp chest, smiling when she heard his thundering heartbeat through his chest.

''That's going to bruise.''

She inclined her head, eyes falling to her shoulder where his fingers were tracing the bite mark. ''Oh...''

''Sorry.''

''Don't be.'' She offered him a roguish grin. ''I like it when you mark me.''

Jon bit his lip, fighting back a groan as he felt his lower region start to respond. ''Don't.''

''What?''

His eyes narrowed. ''You know what... besides, shouldn't you get going soon?''

''I should.'' Her tongue darted out to run over his nipple. ''Doesn't mean I will.''

* * *

''You're late.''

''I'm always late.'' Alexa shrugged as she made her way over to where Chris was stood talking to Adam. ''I don't know why you're so surprised.''

Chris cocked his head to the side, taking in her dishevelled appearance. ''You oversleep?''

''No, something came up.''

Adam snorted. ''I bet it did.''

''Oh my God...''

''I can't help it. Do you ever look at someone and just think, wow, let me take off your pants.'' She laughed at the scandalized look on both mens faces before noticing something. ''Fuck... you cut your hair.''

''I know, it's weird.'' Adam chuckled, running his hand through his short locks.

''When did you do that?'' She asked, moving around to see the back of his head.

''Uh, six o'clock last night. Right before an appearance. It was just getting, you know one of those trolls on the end of a pencil? It was all frizzy and everything.'' He grimaced. ''I've had it in a hat for a year. I was like, Jan, look at this thing and she goes, I don't know if I can help you. So, she cut it halfway... I was starting to look like Macho Man so I said, just cut it. Do it all, now. She grabbed the back and just went-'' He made a scissoring motion with his hands.

''You're going to love it though, man.'' Chris assured him. ''It looks way better.''

''I'm slowly getting used to it. So, uh, I'm getting James Hetfield.'' He told the pair, listing the names of people that he had been compared to on his hand. ''Uh, Jason Newsted... Those are the two comparisons I've got so far.''

Alexa laughed. ''Because of the curly-ness.''

''Yeah, I didn't expect all the waves to be up there. I've got to figure it out. I might do the Jack Swagger and just-'' He swept his hands outwards from the middle of his head. ''-palmate it.''

''You don't want to do that.''

''I don't know if I want to do this either.'' Adam countered, pointing at his hair.

Chris chuckled. ''You look like Wheels from Degrassi.''

All three of them let out loud laughs before Alexa piped up. ''No way, more like Jayson Werth when he had his short hair.''


	34. Chapter 34

**Saturday 31st March**

"'They made me get a twitter... Fine... Enjoy.'" Alexa read out from her phone, doing her best imitation of Jon's husky drawl.

He shook his head with a small smirk. ''I do not sound like that.''

''Yes, you do.'' She replied. ''I thought you wanted nothing to do with social media?''

''Didn't get much of a choice.'' Jon shrugged. ''I mean, I get why people use it and the power it has but it's not for me. I don't want people knowing everything about me, you know?''

She nodded. ''I see where you're coming from, it's not for everyone. I, however, love it.''

''Tell me about it.'' He leaned back on the sofa with an eye roll. ''I think they want me to use it to heat up 'feud' with Foley.''

Alexa nodded, knowing that there was a plan in place to set up an angle between the two. They had already filmed their 'confrontation' that afternoon, everything else would be decided when, or if, Mick passed his impact tests.

''Shouldn't you start getting ready soon?''

She glanced over at the clock and found she had a little over two hours to prepare for the Hall of Fame ceremony. ''Yeah, I guess... are you sure you and Colby don't mind me using your room?''

Although Phil had told her she was welcome to use his bus, he had forgotten to mention that Amy, who he was dating, would be there too. What with Kofi being there too, it kind of made things a little cramped so she had pretty much been sharing with Colby and Jon. They both insisted they didn't mind, but she still felt really guilty that she'd practically taken over their room.

''Of course not.'' He told her. ''Look, I'm going to head over to Claudio and Taylor's room, give you some space to get ready.''

''Don't you need to get ready?''

Pushing himself off the bed, he moved over to where she sat on the couch, leaning forward to press a brief kiss to her lips. ''I don't think we'll make it to the ceremony if I'm here while you're half-naked.''

* * *

''Lex, seriously, we're going to be late!''

''Two minutes!''

''You said that ten minutes ago!''

Colby heaved out a sigh before sharing a look with Jon. Alexa had taken her time getting ready in the bathroom, both men had waited for almost forty minutes after getting themselves ready. They couldn't exactly leave without her because they were all sharing a ride to the venue.

Jon stepped forward, knocking impatiently on the wooden door. ''Lex, hurry the fuck up or I'm going to-''

Alexa suddenly flung the door open and crossed her arms over her chest, looking rather defiant. ''You're going to what?"

''Uh... wait longer.'' Jon replied, thrusting his fists in his pockets and looking at his shoes.

Colby burst out laughing, pushing him lightly. ''Whipped, dude.''

Jon's response died in his throat as she uncrossed her arms and started nervously fidgeting with the sleeves of her dress. He couldn't even find the words to describe how beautiful she looked. All he knew was that she was his, and that thought brought a happy smile to his face.

''You look amazing.'' He told her softly.

Colby nodded in agreement. ''Seconded. You look great. Who knew there was a girl under there, huh?''

Alexa flipped him the bird and glanced down at herself, biting her lip nervously. On her feet were a pair of simple, black heels and the floor-length dress she had picked was black, a split going up the left hand side all the way up to her thigh. The main body of the dress was strapless but had a thin layer of lace material sweeping up from the bust to her shoulders; covering all the way down to her wrists. Tiny diamante specks were sewed all around the bodice and the lace layer, with some also running down either edge of the slit. She had tied her hair back in a simple bun and her make-up was simple, save for the smoky black eyes.

''You sure it looks okay?''

Jon moved over to place a kiss on her cheek, whispering in her ear before he pulled away. ''You look so fucking gorgeous that I'm tempted to keep you all to myself in this hotel room.''

''You wouldn't get any complaints from me.''

Colby coughed awkwardly. ''Still here, guys...''

* * *

**Sunday 1st April**

''This is a very bad idea.''

''Agreed... Jay, seriously, take the fucking thing off before he comes back!"

''Wait, take a picture first!"

Alexa rolled her eyes and whipped out her phone, quickly snapping a few photos of the posing Canadian. ''There, now take it off.''

The other guys in the locker room laughed as Jason carefully removed the jacket, holding it out to her on one finger, wiggling his eyebrows. ''Come on, Lex, you know you want to...''

Since his return, Chris had worn a specially made, light-up leather jackets and the one Jason was holding had been made specifically for Wrestlemania.

She bit her lip as she eyed it; she knew he would kill them both if anything were to happen to it, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Handing Jason her iPhone with a grin, she slowly slid her arms into the leather and shrugged it over her shoulders. She did her best gangster pose, the man snorting out a laugh as he took some photos.

Phil shook his head in amusement as he watched the pair. ''You're a bad influence on her, Reso.''

* * *

''Do you know how much this thing cost? Fifteen grand! You're just lucky I like you. And that this thing still works.''

Alexa kept her eyes downcast as he friend continued his rant.

''It actually looked pretty good on you in the photos... but Jason, he's so skinny, he looked like a broom with a jacket on!''

Alexa glanced over to the mirror, letting her eyes skim over her reflection. She was wearing her wrestling boots, some black shorts and a customized referee shirt that had been cut so it reached just above her navel. Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail on the top of her head and the make-up woman had gone with the natural look for that night, which was a welcome change.

They were waiting at the gorilla position along with Phil, patiently waiting for their match to start. Despite the fact that she wasn't actually wrestling, she still had a nervous feeling in the put of her stomach. This would be her first appearance at Wrestlemania since 2007, where she beat Melina to win her fourth Women's Championship. It had also been her first ever Wrestlemania match, the previous two she had either been valeting or doing a brief run-in.

Phil suddenly appeared; jogging over to them with his headphones blasting music through his ears to get him pumped up. ''Hey.'' He greeted, slipping them off the top of his head as his eyes flicked up to the monitor.

''Hey.'' Alexa followed his gaze, finding Eve fully cementing her heel turn by kicking Zack Ryder between the legs. ''You all set?''

''Sure am.'' Phil placed his iPod and headphones in a neat pile on a nearby table before starting to do some warm-up stretching.

Chris grinned over at him. ''We're going to blow the roof off... metaphorically speaking, of course.''

''Lex!"

She glanced over to the corner, where Paul and Vince were sat at the control desk, the former waving her over. Leaving the two men behind to go over the match one last time, she moved over to the table. ''What's up?''

''Just wanted to give you this.'' Paul handed her the small ear-piece that all the referees used to communicate things to the wrestlers in the ring. ''You know how to use it, right?''

She nodded, taking it from his hand and slipping it into her right ear. ''Yeah, Mike gave me a quick tutorial this afternoon.''

''We've given the match just under one hour.'' Vince told her, looking up from the small monitor in front of him. ''Any changes and we'll let you know through that.''

''Got it.''

''Nervous?'' Paul asked, still slightly sweaty from his match earlier in the night.

Chuckling, she nodded. ''A little... more a nervous excitement.''

Vince smiled across at her. ''Just think, this time next year we'll have you in an actual match.''

''Let's hope so.''

''No doubt about it.'' Paul told her, looking over her shoulder to where people were just starting to head back through the curtain. ''You better get ready, you're heading out right after we've aired the promo Phil and Johnny Ace filmed earlier... Five minutes.''

* * *

''Calm down, nobody noticed.''

''_I _noticed! Oh my God, I am going to destroy Jay when I see him.''

Alexa bit her lip to keep a laugh from slipping out as she glanced over at Phil, the tattooed man doing the same. After she had made her entrance, Chris had decided to test his jacket one more time before he made his way to the ring; only to discover that the lights on the entire right-hand side weren't working. He ended up having to walk down to the ring at an angle, so that the camera could only see the side that was completely lit up.

''It was my fault too.'' She said softly. ''I'm sorry.''

He waved off her apology with a shake of his head. ''It could've been worse, at least Vince didn't notice like last time...''

She couldn't help it, the laugh escaped and the blonde instantly shot her a dirty look. The memory of the phone call she had received several weeks ago was still vivid in her mind. The first jacket he had worn had been faulty and stopped working half-way through his promo; Paul and Vince had ripped it out of him as soon as he got backstage and he had been absolutely livid.

''Sorry.'' She mumbled again.

''I'll catch up with you later, I need to go shower.''

''I told you it was a bad idea.'' Phil shot her a look after the other man had wandered off.

Alexa just shrugged and the pair starting walking, trying to find a vacant buggy to take them back to their locker rooms. ''He'll get over it. I'll just buy him a new one.''

Phil laughed, wiping the sweat off his face with the back of his hand. ''Oh, hey, I have a favour to ask you?''

''Okay, shoot.''

''You know they're filming a DVD about me, right? Well, I just wondered if you'd be alright with being interviewed? I mean, you're one of the people who I've been friends with and known the longest... it makes sense that you should be in it.''

She caught his eye and smiled, nodding. ''Of course I will. Does this mean I get to tell some embarrassing stories about you?''

''No.''

''Not even the lap dancing one?''

''Definitely not.'' He replied with a snort. ''So, are you staying to watch the show or heading back to the hotel?''

''Probably heading back to the hotel, I'm pretty beat.''

He raised an eyebrow. ''Yeah? That new boyfriend of yours keeping you up all night?''

Alexa gaped at him for a few seconds before responding. ''What- How did-''

''I saw you mount him in the hotel cafeteria this morning.'' He shrugged, chuckling at the faint red blush that rose to her face. ''It was kind of a giveaway.''

* * *

Link to Alexa's dress is in my profile, if anyone's interested.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, really appreciate it! Also, if anybody has anything they'd like to see, or ideas for the story, my ears are open :)


	35. Chapter 35

**Monday 2nd April**

''LEX!"

Alexa looked up from the script in her hand and turned in the direction of the loud squeal. A wide smile immediately appeared on her face when she set eyes on the woman running down the hallway. Ever since April had left FCW to move up to the main roster, they hadn't really seen each other. And Alexa had only been back for a short period, their paths never really crossing backstage until now.

After wrapping Alexa in a quick hug, April grinned up at her. ''It's so good to see you!''

''You too, Hobbit.''

''I was so surprised when I saw you come back, I-''

''She squealed like a little girl.''

Alexa glanced over the other woman's shoulder, finding Bryan walking up to them.

April scowled. ''I did _not _squeal.''

''Oh, you totally did.'' He chuckled. ''How you doing, Lex? Glad to be back?''

''Honestly?'' She cocked an eyebrow. ''It's weird... really weird. There's so many new faces and a lots changed since I've been gone... but I'll get used to it, eventually.''

He sent her a warm smile. ''You will, it's like riding a bike.''

''So I've heard.'' She replied, smiling fondly at the memories coming to the forefront of her mind when she heard that phrase. ''It'll probably seem more... normal when I actually have a match.''

''Do you know when you'll be getting back in the ring?'' April questioned.

''Well, it's not tonight.'' She waved her script in front of her face before skimming through the pages. ''All I've got is a couple of promos.''

''They know that the fans are eager to see you get back in the ring. They'll probably drag it out, make people wait for it.'' Bryan said. ''They make more money that way.''

''Hmmm.'' Alexa nodded, biting her lip thoughtfully. ''I guess that makes sense.''

''Hey, I thought I saw Jon earlier.'' April directed at her. ''What's he doing here?''

''Oh, he's going to be touring with the main roster for a while, doing the darks before the shows.''

''That's great.'' Bryan smiled. ''I bet he's pretty nervous.''

''Hardly.'' She scoffed. ''He's more excited than anything. The fucker woke me up at six this morning when he left to get an extra work-out at the gym.''

April gaze up at her in confusion. ''Are you guys rooming together?''

''Uh... kind of, yeah.''

''What do you mean, 'kind of'?''

''Well, we are sharing a room. A room with only _one _bed...'' Bryan snorted, realization quickly dawning on him as Alexa smirked at the blank look on her friend's face. ''... which we share... together...''

''I don't...'' She trailed off, her brown eyes widening as her mouth dropped open into an O of understanding. ''Oh my God! You two_ actually _got it together? I- oh man, now I owe Claudio twenty bucks...''

* * *

**RAW**

_The titantron flared to life and Sierra was shown strolling down a hallway backstage with a cup of steaming coffee in her hands. As she went to walk around the corner, somebody crashed into her, knocking the coffee from her hands and spilling it all over her shirt. Her mouth dropped open in shock and she tore her eyes away from her soaking wet shirt, rolling her eyes when she discovered exactly who she had bumped into._

_The crowd booed as the camera panned back, revealing Chris Jericho. He crossed his arms over his chest, smirking down at her. ''Oops.''_

_Sierra's eyes narrowed and she went to move around him, only for him to step back into her path. ''Move.''_

_He raised an eyebrow. ''Make me.''_

_''What's your problem?'' She asked before a smirk suddenly appeared on her face. ''Oh, that's right, you lost last night didn't you?''_

_''The only reason I lost last night, was because of you.''_

_''Me?'' Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. ''What the hell did I do?''_

_''You're completely incompetent as a ref.'' Jericho sneered at her. ''If it had been anybody else calling the match, I would have won.''_

_''Didn't your parents ever teach you not to talk with your mouth full?'' She paused to take in his confused expression. ''Becuase it sounds to me, like you're full of crap.'' The arena burst into cheers before she continued. ''You losing to Punk last night had nothing to do with me being the ref, it was because he was the better man.''_

_''I am the best in the world at what I do!'' He hissed angrily._

_She looked him up and down, the distaste obvious in her expression. ''If that were true... then why were you the one tapping last night?''_

* * *

''So, Chris gave me _the talk _earlier.''

Alexa looked away from the monitor in the locker room, her eyes landing on her boyfriend who was packing his gear away in the corner of the room. ''What did he say?''

''Told me that you were his best friend and that if I broke your heart, he was going to break my face.''

She guffawed, her hand coming up to quickly cover her mouth. ''Sorry, it's not funny, he shouldn't have done that.''

''It's cool.'' Jon shrugged, giving her a lazy smile. ''You two are crazy close so I was kind of expecting it.''

''What did you say to him?''

''Nothing much... just that I was pretty sure that you could kick my ass yourself if I ever gave you reason to.''

An impish grin spread over her lips. ''I totally cou-''

Her words were drowned out as the arena was suddenly filled with the roar of the crowd. Both of them turned to look at the screen just in time to see a returning Brock Lesnar step onto the ramp.

''That was... loud.''

''Still doesn't beat your return though.'' Jon's gaze returned to her.

''You think?''

He nodded, smiling. ''We were all watching in the rec room back at the arena, it was awesome. Never heard anything like it.''


	36. Chapter 36

**Friday 6th April**

''You did really well.''

''I sucked.''

Alexa bit her lip, trying to find the right words to calm Danielle down. FCW were holding a show in Punta Gorda and the blonde had just had her first ever match against Saraya and Ivelisse.

''You didn't suck... well, maybe a little.'' She teased, earning a laugh from the other woman. ''Considering you've only been training a little while, you did good.''

Danielle sighed, sweeping her hair out of her eyes. ''I just... I find it hard to train with Tom.''

''I know the feeling.'' She muttered, having had her own issues with the man in the past. ''Look, if you want I can still help you. It just won't be as often as before so you'll have to put up with Tom too.''

They arranged some dates they could meet to train before Danielle headed to the changing room, leaving her in the hallway replying to some e-mails on her phone. She wasn't alone for long, a few moments later Jon walked around the corner with Ray 'Leo Kruger' Leppan.

A snort of laughter left her mouth as she took in their appearance.

As well as his normal trunks and boots, Jon was wearing his black denim jacket and his pair of aviator sunglasses. Ray was dressed in a black, leather waistcoat, a pair of glasses that were similar to Jon's and his usual wrestling attire. Both of them had dripping wet hair, Jon had three-day scruff all over his face and the South African man's mustache was trimmed to perfection.

Ray peered at her over the top of his glasses. ''What's so funny?''

She just shook her head, opening the camera app on her phone and quickly snapping a picture of the two men, still chuckling to herself.

''We're up in ten, guys.'' Ettore appeared, slinging an arm over her shoulder. ''What're you laughing at?''

She met his eyes with a smirk, jerking her thumb towards the pair in front of them. ''One of them looks like a porn star and the other looks like a drug lord...''

He turned his gaze on the men, letting out a loud guffaw. ''Oh my God...''

Jon's brow furrowed as he looked at the man beside him before glancing down at himself. ''Wait, which one am I?''

''Drug dealer?'' Ettore supplied, grinning as he high-fived her. ''Nailed it.''

Ray arched an eyebrow. ''Why am _I _the porn star?''

Alexa and Ettore shared a look before speaking in unison. ''The mustache.''

* * *

_**I'll be there in ten.**_

_You still haven't told me where we're going._

_**For food...or sex... I haven't decided. You know me, I'm hungry and horny 24/7.**_

_Let's just bang._

_**And then order dominos?**_

_Sure. You can even eat it while we have sex, I don't even care._

_**Marry me.**_

Alexa rolled her eyes at that and dropped the phone back into her purse.

After arriving back in Tampa following the show, Jon had informed her that he would pick her up at eight and that she had to dress nicely.

''So, where's he taking you?'' Saraya inquired, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned on the door frame.

''He didn't say.'' Alexa replied, slipping on her shoes before moving over to the mirror, pulling at the hem of her dress. ''It's not too short, is it?''

The younger woman's eyes dropped, a smirk settling on her face. ''Nah, even if it is, I'm sure Jon won't mind.''

She laughed, moving back over to the bed to pick up her purse just as a knock sounded at the door. They made their way downstairs, Alexa yanking open the door as Saraya watched curiously from behind her. Both women's eyes widened in surprise at the sight that greeted them, the latter letting out a soft snort.

Jon was wearing a suit. An actual, proper suit.

Alexa was positive she had the most ridiculous expression on her face and quickly snapped herself out of her stupor. ''You scrub up surprisingly well.''

Jon just smirked at her comment, his eyes still drinking in her appearance. He had seen her in dresses before, he thought nothing could top the one she wore to the Hall of Fame, but he as wrong. The cream one she had on hugged her curves and made her legs seem as though they went on for days, he was half-tempted to just drag her inside and have his way with her.

Saraya suddenly piped up. ''You actually own an iron, who knew?''

Jon flipped her the bird before returning his gaze to the woman in the doorway. ''You look amazing.''

''Thank you.''

* * *

''This place is super nice.'' Alexa whistled, eyes darting around as she took in the restaurant he had taken her too.

She had no idea what prompted his sudden desire to take her on an actual 'date' and she wasn't complaining... but she wasn't used to things like this and felt extremely out-of-place.

''Yeah, it's pretty nice, I guess.'' Jon agreed, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily. This wasn't something he did often; in fact, it was probably the first time he'd ever dressed up to take a woman to a fancy restaurant.

''You've never been here before?''

''Do I _look_ like the kind of guy that comes to a place like this?'' He cocked an eyebrow. ''I asked around, a few people told me about this place.''

They still had a few minutes before they were given a table, Alexa bit her lip before meeting his eyes with a grin. ''I think we should go someplace else.''

His brow furrowed in confusion. ''What?''

''It's obvious this place isn't for us.'' She shrugged. ''There's a pretty cool place a few blocks away, let's just go there.''

Twenty minutes later found the couple sitting in a small booth at Pop 'n Sons, a local diner. They both felt much more comfortable in the more familiar surroundings, despite sticking out like a sore thumb. Their conversation flowed easily while they waited for their food, quickly moving onto the topics of their contrasting childhoods.

''So, all of those amazing promos you did in the indies, were they true?'' She asked, taking a slow sip of the drinks the waitress had brought out.

''It was all true, just more... exaggerated. My childhood was crappy. My dad wasn't around, my mom was an alcoholic and a junkie... I pretty much raised myself.'' He told her, taking a swig of his own beer. ''She's clean nowadays, claims she's found god or some shit, she's also now a lesbian... which is cool because now we have things in common, we both love boobs and booze.''

''Sorry you had to go through all that.''

''It is what it is. People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in life are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them."

Alexa treaded in a soft voice. ''Have you seen your dad since.''

She knew that he wasn't one to open us easily and was silently surprised at his candor, she liked that she was getting to know him better. It proved to her that there was more to their relationship than just sex.

''I stopped wrestling for, like, a year, between 2007 and 2008. I got normal 9-5 job at a gym, had a normal life which was pretty great for a while. That was probably the first time in my life that I had any kind of relationship with my dad.'' He looked across at her thoughtfully. ''What about your mom?''

''What about her?'' She asked slowly.

''I, uh, listened to the podcast you did with Cabana.'' He explained. ''Have you ever, you know, tried to get back in contact with her?''

''No, why would I?''

''I don't know, maybe because she's still your mom.''

''I don't need anybody in my life who doesn't want to be there.''

Despite the indifference she was showing, he had seen the flash of hurt in her eyes at the mere mention of her mother. It was then that he realized just how right he had been with his assessment of her. She reminded him of one of those tiny dogs which barked extra loud, because they wanted to compensate for their lack of strength.

Their plates being brought over to their table stopped him from responding and Alexa was distracted by her food, quickly tucking in. He couldn't help but chuckle as he watched her bite into the burger, pieces of cheese and sauce dropping out of the side.

''What?'' She asked around the food, narrowing her eyes.

He just smiled fondly. ''Nothing.''


	37. Chapter 37

**Monday 16th April**

Alexa stifled a yawn as she peered out of the window, resting her head against the cool glass and watching the lights flash by.

The WWE had hired a few buses to ferry all the superstars and backstage crew around while they did their tour of the United Kingdom. They had done a week-long day stint in Europe where they had shows in Russia, Poland and Germany before they had landed in England on Sunday morning, ready for their that evening in Nottingham.

She had wrestled her first matches since coming back while on the tour, she couldn't have been happier to be back in action. Both matches had been against Beth and since the two women had worked together countless times, she immediately felt at ease getting back in the ring with her. She had been told that they were saving her televised return until the Extreme Rule pay-per-view at the end of the month, which gave her some time to get used to being back in the ring.

Jon was flying over to the UK that day to carry on touring with the main roster. It had been well over a week since she had seen him, and she was surprised to discover just how much she was missing him. But, knowing she would see him in just a few hours, put her in a good mood despite her tiredness.

It was a little after midnight and they were en route to their hotel in London, where they would all try to catch a few hours sleep before Raw that night. She lifted her head from the glass and let out a quiet groan as she rolled her aching shoulders. Leaning back into the uncomfortable seat, she let her eyes wander over around the bus, finding most people asleep. She was about to try to get some sleep herself when her ears caught whispered voices behind her.

''Suck my dick, Mizanin.''

The man replied with a snort. ''I think that's physically impossible, Barb.''

''Unless you've got something you want to tell us.'' Came the voice of Matt Cardona.

Eve piped up. ''A clitoris is actually an undeveloped penis; since we all, at some point, are both male and female in the uterus. Before the dominate gene takes over, the penis on a female and a male is actually the same. And once the dominate gene takes over for a male, the clit actually develops into a penis, so technically, when a girl says: suck my dick… It _is_ kind of politically correct…''

''That's also why guys have nipples.''

The four in the back almost jumped out of their skin when Alexa's head suddenly appeared over the top of the seat in front of them. ''Actually, female is the default genetic setting so penises are just giant grotesque clitorises.''

They all gaped at her as she quickly leaned over and grabbed the unopened bag of Skittles that were in Mike's lap. Ignoring his cry of outrage, she shot them a grin before dropping back into her seat.

A few minutes later, she abruptly stopped chewing when she felt something hit the back of her head. She reached behind her and pulled the object out of her hair, frowning when she found a gummy bear.

She spun around in her seat and narrowed her eyes. "Mizanin, you know this means war right?''

He didn't get the chance to respond as she threw the candy back at him, hitting him square in the forehead. Matt, Barbie and Eve laughed at the surprised look on the man's face and before they knew it, almost everyone else had joined in and were throwing different kinds of candy at each other. Chris had moved to sit beside her so they could join forces and Alexa could have sworn she even saw Phil get in on the action a few times.

Eventually, everyone calmed down and Glenn 'Kane' Jacobs rose from his seat, feeling like he ought to reprimand them since he was the most senior member of the locker room on board. It was half-hearted at best and he eventually gave up when he realized that nobody was taking him seriously.

As he turned to head back to his seat, Alexa shot Chris a mischievous grin as she slowly picked a Skittle out of the depleted bag in her lap.

His eyes widened when he realized what she was planning to do and shook his head warningly, hissing; ''Don't...''

She just smirked before launching the candy at the man.

The bus fell silent as it hit the back of his head before landing on the floor with a thunk. Glenn slowly turned around, eyeing them all suspiciously.

Alexa schooled her face into a nonchalant expression as his gaze landed on her and Chris. The blonde shifted nervously beside her, finally cracking under the scrutiny and pointing towards her. ''It was Lex!"

She glowered at him. ''Smooth.''

He just shrugged, shooting her an apologetic look before she turned to face Glenn. Just as he opened his mouth, he was hit again in the same place, this time by someone else.

Alexa guffawed at the expression on his face and glanced over at the culprit. ''Nice shot, Fruity Pebbles!"

* * *

''Great match, Kev.''

''Thanks.''

Alexa smiled as Kevin Kiley. Jr, better known as Alex Riley, walked past her. She had just watched the dark match between him and Jon and was not patiently waiting for her boyfriend to make his way through the curtain. A few moments later, her eyes landed on a familiar figure and her smile widened. Pushing herself off the wall she had been leaning against, her legs set off in a jog towards the man.

Jon looked up just in time to see her come flying towards him, his arms opening to catch her against his chest. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his tightened around her waist, spinning her around.

''I kind of missed you.'' Her voice was muffled against his neck.

He smiled, setting her down on the floor but keeping his arms around her. He glanced around to see if anybody was watching before bending down, stealing a quick kiss from her lips.

''I kind of missed you too.''

''Yeah?''

''Yeah.'' He smirked. ''Well, parts of you, anyway.''

* * *

**RAW**

_''Monday Night Raw is across the pond tonight!" Michael announced over the roar of the crowd. ''We are at the O2 Arena in London, England! This place is rocking! I'm Michael Cole. Hall of Famer, Jerry 'The King' Lawler is with me at ringside.''_

_''I sure am, and-''_

_Sierra's music hit, the British crowd letting out an ear-splitting cheer as she appeared at the top of the ramp._

_''And, here comes Sierra! What a way to start the show, Michael!" King cried._

_She made her way down the ramp, stopping to high-five a few fans on her way down before climbing into the ring. Justin Roberts passed her a microphone through the ropes and she smiled, thanking him before waiting for the crowd to settle down._

_''Well... it's been a long time since I've been in the UK, it's great to be back...'' She trailed off, letting the crowd's cheers die down before speaking again. ''I came out here tonight to issue a challenge... to Beth Phoenix... I want that title. And, Mr. Laurinaitis has been so kind as to agree to give me a title shot. So, Beth, what do you say? You think you can take me on? Or are you-''_

_**'You can look but you can't touch.'**_

_''That's not Beth Phoenix.'' King stated in confusion._

_Michael scoffed. ''You think?''_

_The Bella Twins sauntered through the curtain to stand at the top of the ramp, both sending dirty looks towards the woman in the ring. Their music stopped and Sierra stepped towards the ropes, leaning her elbows on them as she arched a brow. ''What do you want, Tia and Tamera?''_

_The pair seethed as the crowd laughed, their scowls deepening as Brie raised the microphone in her hand. ''Sierra, you're never going to get that title, not as long as The Bella's are here.''_

_Nikki nodded, smirking. ''We hate to burst your bubble, but there's no way you're getting a title shot before I do. I pinned Beth Phoenix last week, which, in my book, means I get first dibs.''_

_''Okay...'' Sierra laughed loudly. ''Now, you listen and you listen real good. You better listen extra good, Brie, so you can explain it to her later.''_

_King snorted from ringside as the crowd laughed again, identical looks of anger on the two women's faces._

_''I already know that you, Nikki, are getting your title shot against Beth next week on Raw... and I'll be facing the winner of that match at Extreme Rules. Honestly, I don't care who wins, I know I can beat either of you. But, if you do win then I have a piece of advice for you, Nikki...'' The smiled dropped from her face, her gaze intense as she stared at the woman at the top of the ramp. ''... savour it... enjoy it... and make the most of it... because you can guarantee that it's going to be the shortest title reign in history!''_

_''Whoa.'' King muttered. ''I've never seen Sierra like that before.''_

_The man beside him nodded. ''Well, she obviously means business, King.''_

* * *

''That was great, Lex.'' Nikki gave her a warm smile, patting her on the back as she walked backstage.

''Totally.'' Brie nodded. ''I'll admit, you freaked me out at the end there. You looked a little... unstable.''

Instead of being offended, Alexa grinned happily. ''Thanks, that's kind of what I was going for.''

She had a meeting with some of the creative team before the show started, they wanted to go over the direction they wanted 'Sierra' to go in. They said they were going to eventually look towards turning her heel, when the time was right. It was exciting, to say the least, she had always been a face so it was a new challenge to sink her teeth into.

Nikki rose an eyebrow. ''So, do you want to meet later and plan the match for Sunday?''

''You're winning?''

''Don't sound so surprised, rude.'' She teased. ''But yeah, I am.''

''Well, we'll all be in Chicago on the Saturday anyway, we can just go over it then?'' Alexa suggested, looking between them. ''I mean, hopefully by then we'll find out who they're booking to win so we can... what?''

Nikki and Brie were both giving her shit-eating grins, like they knew something she didn't.

''Nothing.'' They chorused, still grinning.

Her eyes flicked between them. ''Okay, that was super creepy.''

* * *

**A/N - I take no credit from the conversation between Alexa, Eve, Mike, Matt and Barbie. Found the quotes on Tumblr and thought they were hilarious so thought I'd use them in here. Link here - ** post/90239641546/a-clitoris-is-actually-an-undeveloped-penis-since-we


	38. Chapter 38

**Monday 23rd April**

''So, they've called the whole thing off?''

''Looks that way.''

''That sucks, man.''

It was Thursday and they were at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit for the Raw supershow. Alexa was reading a book, propped up against the wall on one side of the locker room, while Jon and Phil were deep in conversation on the other side.

Jon's potential feud with Mick Foley had just been scrapped, much to the man's displeasure.

They had been effectively building it up using Twitter, some of Jon's tweets had contained thinly veiled threats to him and his family; implying that he wanted to make his kids become homeless and orphans. The dirt sheets were reporting that Mick was pissed off with the comments and asked Jon to stop, which he didn't, which is why Mick called everything off.

They were only half right.

Mick _did_ have a problem with the tweets directed towards his family, texting Jon and asking him to stop. He didn't, and continued to mention his family in a few more of his tweets. What Mick wasn't aware of, was that Jon was working on the UK tour and his phone wasn't receiving any texts. So, none-the-wiser, he continued tweeting and working the feud on Twitter. As soon as he arrived back in the States, he immediately deleted the tweets and apologized profusely to Mick. Everything was fine and the feud was still supposed to happen.

That was, until Mick failed all his impact tests. The doctors basically told him he should never wrestle again. He then went to his own doctors for a second opinion, only to be told the same thing.

Both men were beyond disappointed.

Alexa gave Jon a sympathetic look as he and Phil continued their conversation in the corner of the room. Putting down her book, she rose to her feet and moved over to the pair. ''I'm going to head to catering and grab a drink, you guys want anything?''

''No, thanks.''

Jon smiled, shaking his head. ''Nah, I'm good.''

''I won't be long.''

* * *

''I don't see you for, like, a year... now you're popping up everywhere. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were stalking me.''

''Just making sure you don't forget about me.'' Adam teased before he pulled her into a quick hug.

''How could I ever forget about you?'' Alexa gasped mockingly. ''You know you're my... third favourite Canadian.''

''You know...'' He leaned forward, speaking in a hushed tone. ''Chris and Jay aren't here, you can say I'm your favourite now.''

''Oh, I'd forgotten about Jay. Guess that means you're down to fourth.''

''Who's the other one?''

''Justin Bieber.'' She deadpanned.

Adam glared down at her. ''You're dead to me.''

* * *

Thirty minutes later, a promise to get back to Adam with a revised list and a water bottle in hand, she was just a few feet away from the locker room when she bumped into someone as the exited one of the rooms.

Looking up, the apology on her tongue vanished and her eyes turned stony. ''Randy.''

''Hey, Lex.'' He spoke softly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. ''I've been meaning to speak to you...''

''This should be good.'' Sighing, she crossed her arms over her chest. ''What insults have you got for me this time?''

''Uh...'' Randy opened his mouth to reply but quickly closed it again, pausing so he could drink in her appearance.

Despite the anger in her eyes, which was understandable, she looked just as stunning as ever. Her hair had grown out since he last saw her, falling down to the middle of her back with a slight curl. She had yet to visit the make-up department, her face completely bare, letting her natural beauty shine through. His eyes scanned approvingly over the skin-tight jeans that covered her curves before lifting, moving past the simple white tank top she wore and moving back to her face. He couldn't help but notice an area of redness on the side of her neck, his eyes narrowing when he realized what it was.

''Well? Get on with it, I've got things to do.''

Swallowing down the sudden jealousy he felt that another man had touched what had once been 'his', he looked her in the eye. ''I just want to apologize, for real, this time.'' Seeing she was about to protest, he quickly cut her off. '' Please. Just listen, okay? I know I don't deserve anything from you, let alone your forgiveness... but I _am _sorry. For everything I did and everything I said. I'm sorry.''

Alexa looked at him with utter disdain. ''You can apologize all you want, Randy, but your words mean nothing to me anymore.''

''I understand that you're mad. I don't blame you. I just... I know we're never going to be friends again, but can we at least agree to be civil to each other at work?''

''If you _really_ want me to believe your weak-ass apology, then do me a favour?''

''Name it.''

''Just... stay away from me.''

He nodded stiffly, sparing her one last look before moving past her, her head turning to watch him as he stalked down the hallway. Alexa's shoulders sagged in relief as she watched him disappear around the corner before she turned back around. Her eyes immediately landed on Jon, who was lingering just outside the doorway of the locker room.

His expression was dark and he had his arms crossed over his chest. ''What did he want?''

She made her way over to him, checking back over her shoulder to make sure he had actually gone. ''He... uh, just apologized.''

''You believe him?'' Jon scoffed, raising a brow.

''Honestly, I don't care either way.'' She shrugged, meeting his penetrating stare. ''I told him if he meant it then he'd just stay the hell away from me.''

''Good.'' He murmured, pulling her into his arms and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. ''Because if he so much as looks at you wrong again, I'll kick his ass.''

* * *

**RAW**

_CM Punk and Sierra appeared on the titantron, sitting in a locker room backstage; matching solemn expressions adorning their faces. The pair were conversing in low tones when Josh Matthews interrupted them._

_''Excuse me, CM Punk, Sierra?''_

_The man heaved out a sigh as he rose from the bench to face the interviewer, Sierra following his movements beside him._

_''Can you please comment on the things Chris Jericho said earlier? Also, what was the gift Jericho said he got you?'' Josh questioned, moving the microphone in front of the other man's face._

_Punk let out a humourless laugh before responding. ''Well, the gift was an extremely disappointing act of sarcasm, from a very desperate man. The gift-'' He turned around to grab something from the floor, returning into shot with a large gift-basket which was filled to the brim with bottles of alcohol. ''-was this. Now, obviously, this is a liquor basket. Uh, I've never been gifted one before, so it's a pretty exciting day in the life of CM Punk. So, if Chris Jericho wants to give presents, if he wants to give gifts...'' He lifted the bottle of Jack Daniels from the collection. ''Then I've got a gift for him. And I'm going to deliver it in my home town of Chicago, Illinois this Sunday at Extreme Rules. And, right now, I'm going to re-gift his gift. Because I really don't know what to do with this and I have no use for it.''_

_Sierra stepped forward with a grin and swiped a bottle for herself. ''Give the rest to Josh, I'm sure he knows exactly what to do with it.''_

_''Go ahead.'' Punk handed him what was left. ''Knock yourself out. Have a good time. Get out.''_

_Josh smiled before moving towards the door; Sierra raising the Jim Bean and Punk lifting the bottle of Jack Daniels to toast him as he left._

* * *

_A little later in the show, Alex Riley informed Chris Jericho that he had been kicked out of the locker room by CM Punk because he had witnessed him drinking alcohol. The pair had gone back to the locker room, peering through the door to find that he was right; Punk was drinking out of a red cup and the bottle of Jack Daniels was half-empty in front of him._

_Jericho had marched straight to __John Laurinaitis' office, and had convinced the man to make Punk take a sobriety test. If he failed that test, he was to be stipped of the WWE Championship. Eve got involved, informing them that when Teddy Long was the General Manager of Smackdown, he would look the other way. This prompted John Laurinaitis to tell Teddy Long that he would be the one performing the test._

_Raw had just returned from a commercial break to show Teddy Long standing in the ring with two police officers behind him. ''Per Mr. John Laurinaitis, at this time I will require CM Punk to please come to this ring.''_

_**'Break the Walls down!'**_

_Chris Jericho was the one who appeared at the top of the ramp, microphone in hand. ''Hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... Hold on a second, Teddy. There's one thing that I know, is that any time you're in a power position; you're incompetent, you're mediocre. So, I'm going to come out here and make sure this is done right!'' He moved down the ramp, climbing into the ring as the crowd jeered. ''Not to mention, Teddy, I want to be out here when you strip CM Punk of the title so you can give it to me personally.''_

_Teddy long glared across at the smirking man before sighing. ''Well, in fact... if CM Punk does fail this public field sobriety test... then, yes. Per Mr. Laurinaitis, CM Punk will be stripped of the WWE Championship. And further subject to discipline. So, CM Punk-''_

_**'She takes to the spotlight**_

_**To the stage'**_

_Sierra stormed down to the ring, much to the crowd's delight and Jericho's displeasure. Teddy gave her an exasperated look as she marched past him to stand in front of the Canadian, getting in his face and shouting angrily at him._

_Jericho just sneered down at her. ''What's this? Punk's too drunk to come out here himself so he sends out his little guard dog? Cute, but someone really needs to put a leash on you-''_

_Sierra's eyes narrowed and she quickly reached towards the side of his head, pinching his ear tightly and yanking down. The crowd laughed when a strangled yelp was heard in the microphone before it dropped to the mat as he frantically tried to pry her off._

_The two police men finally pulled her away from him and over to the opposite side of the ring as Teddy spoke again. ''CM Punk, will you please make your way to the ring!"_

_The WWE Champion made his way out, Jericho watching on with a smirk and Sierra looking concerned as he staggered down to the ring. After handing his microphone to Sierra, he did his usual thing of standing on the top rope to hold the belt over his head, almost losing his balance in the process._

_Chris watched on in contempt as he reached out to take the microphone back from her, his title belt slipping from his hand at the same time. He quickly picked it up before waving at the crowd._

_''This whole thing is ridiculous, Teddy. You know it's ridiculous.'' He turned to face Jericho. ''You know it's rid- you're not even cool- it's- it's ridiculous. You've got police officers out here... John __Laurinaitis knows it's ridiculous. I know it's ridiculous and the entire WWE Universe knows it's completely ridiculous.''_

_''Well, Punk, this is how it is. Officer.''' Teddy moved the microphone towards the police officer._

_''Sir, I'm going to need for you to recite your alphabet. Backwards.''_

_''Okay. Alright... hang on a minute.'' Punk reached up to take the gum out of his mouth, before looking around, wondering where to put it._

_Sierra rolled her eyes before holding out her hand, palm up, in front of him. He dropped it down with a grin, the other men in the ring watching on with disgusted looks. _

_Punk lifted the microphone to his lips before pausing, shaking his head, and lowering it again._

_''Do it... do it...'' Chris demanded._

_Punk looked towards Teddy. ''Could you tell him to be quiet, I can't concent- backwards?'' His gaze shifted to the police officer, who nodded. ''Has anybody, in the history of the alphabet, ever recited it backwards?''_

_''Do it!" The Canadian repeated._

_''Uh... Z... X... ZXY... There's a V...'' He chuckled and glanced over at the police officer. ''There's a V in there somewhere, I know...'' He dissolved into laughter._

_''This is pathetic.'' Jericho called over to him. ''This is pathetic.''_

_''Shut up!" Despite leaping to his defence, Sierra had a grimace on her face as the crowd cheered some encouragement._

_''Nobody can- nobody can recite the alphabet backwards, drunk or sober. This is stupid.'' He laughed, looking over at the officer mockingly. ''This is stupid, officer!''_

_''This is embarrassing... you're embarrassing yourself.'' Chris said smugly._

_''Chris, just a minute.'' Teddy interjected. ''They have more tests.'' He told him before moving the microphone back to the police officer._

_''Sir, you can't recite the alphabet backwards... so I'm going to need you to walk this straight line, right here.'' He pointed down to the long red strip running across the canvas._

_Leaning on the ropes for support, Punk asked. ''What line?''_

_Smothering a snort, Sierra gestured towards the thick red line on the mat. ''That one.''_

_''Quit stalling and do it!" Jericho shouted into his microphone._

_''I didn't see the line, the line's never there!" Punk defended, pushing himself off the ropes. ''Alright.'' Handing his title over to Sierra, he moved towards the start of the line. ''I know I can do it, I've seen Cops before, this is easy.'' He paused as he looked down at his feet with a smirk. ''Wait, quick, what movie is this from?'' He laughed along with the audience as he lifted his right leg up and held both arms above his head._

_''Karate Kid!" Sierra called, earing her a glare from Jericho._

_''Karate Kid, that's right, thank you.'' Punk grinned, stumbling backwards slightly as he put his foot back down and attempted to walk the line._

_''Come on.''_

_Both police officers were shaking their heads when he failed to do what they asked, Punk stepping back towards the start. _

_''Take two... take two...'' Chris goaded from the side._

_''I can't... I can't concentrate... when people get pulled over on the side of the road, there's not some jerk screaming at them the whole time! Tell him to shut it, shhh!''_

_He tried to walk straight again, only to veer off to the right, almost knocking Sierra and the police officer over. _

_After one more failed attempt, Chris sighed and implored Teddy. ''Come on, look at this! You really need to stand out here and get more evidence, Teddy? This guy is drunk! Okay? He's drunk!''_

_Punk shook his frantically as he took his belt from Sierra's arms. _

_''And just like Mr. Laurinaitis told you, if he can't pass the sobriety test, you have to strip him of the title and give it to me! SO DO YOUR JOB, NOW!... DO IT!''_

_Teddy held his gaze for a moment before turning to the officer and asking his opinion. Jericho nodded when he confirmed that Punk appeared to be intoxicated. Teddy thanked them and they left the ring to heavy boos from the crowd._

_''See! You can boo all you want, this man is drunk!'' Chris cried. ''The officer said it!''_

_''Punk, I'm sorry. But I have no control in this matter.'' Teddy moved towards him. ''Would you please hand over the WWE title?''_

_''Come on, CM Drunk! Hand it over!" Jericho laughed._

_Teddy shot him a glare over his shoulder, before turning back to the champion. ''Come on, Punk.''_

_He eventually handed the belt to Teddy and as soon as it had left his hands, the crowd jeered unhappily._

_''Come on, fumble fingers, give me that title!" Jericho held out his hands but the other man faltered. ''Come on, Laurinaitis told you, let me have it, now.''_

_Just as Teddy was about to do as he was asked, Punk stepped forward, interrupting the exchange. ''Wait, wait, wait... just give me one more chance?'' _

_The crowd cheered and the Canadian laughed, looking around. ''You want Punk to have one more chance? I don't think so. How many more chances do you need, Punk?''_

_''I just need one-''_

_''You're embarrassing yourself-''_

_''Just one more chance. I can do this.'' Punk moved to the start of the red line, running a hand through his hair before turning to Teddy. ''What was the first thing I had to do, the alphabet? Backwards?'' _

_''Yes. That's what it was.''_

_''Okay... Z... Y... X... W... V... U...T... S... R... Q... P...'' The man started walking down the line, while still reciting the rest of it. ''O.N.M.L.K.J.I.H...'' He smirked as he easily reached the end of the line, Jericho looking on in disbelief behind him as he started moving backwards. ''This is the worst moonwalk ever, I know. G.F.E.D.C.B.'' He met the other man's gaze, scratching his head mockingly before spitting. ''A'' And bashing him over the head with his microphone._

_Sierra and Teddy quickly jumped out of the ring as the two men brawled on the inside. Jericho desperately tried to run away but Punk kept up his attack and their fight ended up on the ramp, with the crowd cheering him on. _

_'CM PUNK! CM PUNK! CM PUNK!'_

_Jericho eventually managed to break loose and retreated around the side of the stage and a few moments later, Punk was joined by Teddy and Sierra on the ramp. He shared a high-five with the woman before accepting the title back from Teddy as __John Laurinaitis and Eve Torres appeared on the screen, not looking too impressed with the outcome._

* * *

**Thanks for reading! If you liked it, or didn't like it, please review!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Sunday 29th April**

_** ColtCabana: Wish I could come support CMPunk in Chicago. Make Chicago Proud bud! #FlyingHomeFromJapan **_

_ RealSierra: Ahem._

_** ColtCabana: And also, not that she needs it, good luck to RealSierra tonight. First match back since her injury, knew you could do it biatch!**_

''Shouldn't you be getting ready, not fucking around on Twitter.''

Feeling mildly chastised, Alexa turned the screen off and put it down on the bench beside her. ''I _am _ready, thank you very much. Not all of us need two hours of mental preparation like you.'' She retorted with a teasing gin.

She had spent most of yesterday planning the match with Nikki, Brie and one of the agents assigned to help them before actually doing a run through in the ring that morning. She had been worried at first about working with the twins but had been pleasantly surprised with how well they worked. Her hair and make-up were already done and she had just changed into her gear before checking her Twitter.

The new ring attire consisted of short black shorts and a snug fitting bralet which was black and covered in multi-coloured sequins. She had on her usual black wrestling boots and knee pads and her arms were bare, save for the black tape encircling her wrists.

''You are aware who you're getting in the ring with, right?'' Phil cocked an eyebrow. ''The botch-queen herself?''

Alexa rolled her eyes. ''Jesus, you're just as bad as Jon, he said the exact same thing.''

''I knew there was a reason I liked him.'' He smirked. ''So, you winning tonight?''

''Now that, would be telling.'' She stood, bopping him on the nose with her forefinger.

''I bet you told Jon.''

''I-''

''She didn't, actually.'' Jon interjected as he reached their table.

Phil greeted the man with a nod before grimacing as he planted a chaste kiss on Alexa's lips. ''I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.''

''Fuck you, Brooks.'' She threw a piece of lettuce at him, which he expertly dodged.

* * *

_**Extreme Rules**_

_''This contest is set for one fall and it is for the Diva's Championship! Being accompanied to the ring by Brie, from Scotsdale, Arizona. She is the current Diva's Champion... Nikki Bella!''_

_The twins strutted their way down the ramp, doing their usual routine of flipping into the ring before posing confidently with the title belt in the air._

_**'She takes to the spotlight**_

_**To the stage'**_

_**'**__'And the challenger, from __Juárez, Mexico... Sierra!"_

_The crowd gave her a much better reception than the two women; letting out roaring cheers as she strode down to the ring, slapping fans' hands as she went._

_''Just listen to that reception, Michael!'' Booker laughed from ringside. ''I think they're all Sierra fans here in Chicago.''_

_Stepping into the ring, Sierra breezed past the twins towards the corner of the ring, jumping up onto the turnbuckle to pose for the crowd._

_''It was been almost four years since her last match in the WWE, which coincidentally, was also a Championship match.'' Michael told the audience at home. ''For the, now retired, WWE Women's Championship.''_

_''Am I right in saying that Sierra's never been the Diva's Champion, Michael?'' King questioned._

_''You are, King.'' The man confirmed. ''She's a four-time Women's Champion, holding the title for a combined, six hundred and sixty six days. But she has yet to win the Diva's Championship.''_

_''Maybe tonight will be her night.'' Booker pondered._

_Brie climbed out of the ring as John Cone, the referee assigned to the match, took the championship belt from Nikki and held it in the air with both hands. As soon as he handed the belt to one of the stage hands, Nikki flew at Sierra; hitting the woman in the face with several forearms._

_''And Nikki Bella, wasting no time here!" Michael called. _

_Sierra was__ too surprised to even attempt to fight back; the most she could do was raise her arms to try to ward off the blows. She pulled back her arm for one last blow then paused, sending a confident grin over towards her sister._

_The momentary distraction gave Sierra time to pull back and lift her leg up, aiming a kick to the woman's gut. Managing to catch the limb mid-swing, Nikki raised her other arm to fist her hand in her opponent's hair._

_''Come on, Nikki.'' Brie shouted, pounding her hands on the apron._

_Using Sierra's momentum against her; Nikki swung them around before pushing hard, sending her flying back into the turnbuckle. She ran towards her but, using the ropes either side of her as leverage, Sierra kicked out with both feet, catching the other woman in the midsection. _

_Nikki's eyes widened as she stumbled backwards into the referee, one arm latching onto his shirt as the other clutched her stomach in pain. Sierra was just attempting to hoist herself up to the second rope as Brie ran around the ring; Nikki quickly turning the man around so his back was to the other woman._

_''And look at Sierra, going up top and- oh, man!"_

_Brie grabbed onto Sierra's leg and gave it a hard tug, sending the other woman face-first into the canvas. Nikki sprinted over, stomping on the fallen woman several times before going for the pin. Sierra kicked out after the two count, much to the twins displeasure and the crowd's delight._

_Slowly getting to her feet, Sierra ducked a forearm to the face before moving behind Nikki and surprising her with a schoolboy roll-up. Nikki was the first to her feet after the two count, crouched down and ready to pounce as Sierra rose. _

_When she straightened up, Nikki ran towards her with her arm outstretched. Her forearm was a hairbreadth away from making contact when, suddenly, Sierra was bending backwards. Her hands landed flat on the canvas as her body formed a perfect arch and Nikki went flying past her, her arm hitting nothing but air._

_''Matrix move by Sierra!'' King cried. ''I think we've seen that somewhere before!"_

_''Trish Stratus was famous for it, during her time here.'' Michael Cole stated. ''Her and Sierra had quite the rivalry back in the day.''_

_In her confusion, Nikki collided with the ropes and the crowd let out a loud cheer. Quickly pulling herself back up from the bridge, Sierra moved towards Nikki and, once she had turned around, hit her with a picture-perfect dropkick to the face._

_''Beautiful dropkick!'' Booker noted. _

_Sierra dropped down into a cover._

_1- 2-_

_Nikki managed to lift her shoulder before the three count and Brie jumped up onto the apron, shouting angrily. ''Who do you think you are, huh?!"_

_Rolling her eyes, Sierra ran towards the woman and aimed a dropkick to her feet, sending her flying off the apron. Turning around, she moved over to Nikki who was just starting to stagger to her feet and hooked an arm around her neck. Swinging her outside leg forwards before snapping it back quickly, she pulled them both backwards, Nikki's head slamming into the mat._

_Michael hissed as he watched, ''Oooh! Nasty DDT there to Nikki, and is Sierra going for the cover?!"_

_''No I think she's-''_

_Sierra was panting as she pointed over towards the corner, the crowd all jumping to their feet with a cheer when they realized what was coming._

_''-going for the DeltaWave!" King finished excitedly._

_Moving quickly over to the corner, she checked that both women were still down before climbing to the top. She posed for the fans briefly, grinning as camera started flashing before she flew off the rope and hit Nikki with a perfect corkscrew shooting star press._

_The referee was immediately at their side, his hand slamming down on the mat. _

_1...2...3. _

_The arena was buzzing; an ear-splitting roar echoing as the bell sounded and Justin Roberts raised the microphone to his lips. ''The winner of this match and __**NEW **__WWE Diva's Champion... Sierra!"_

_King laughed happily. ''I guess she can add Diva's Champion to the list, now!"_

_John Cone moved over to her, handing her the title belt and raising her arm in victory. The crowd erupted again, which was unusual, it didn't happen often during a Diva's title match. _

_Breaking into a breaming smile, Sierra made her way back over to the turnbuckle and climbed to the top; raising the newly-won Diva's Championship over her head as her music played loudly in the background._

* * *

As soon as Alexa stepped through the curtain to the backstage area, the belt was taken out of her hands to change the name plaque and she was greeted warmly by Vince, who she hadn't really spoken to since her return; the man pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

Paul, who was sitting behind the desk wearing a headset, let out a husky chuckle as she wheezed for breath. She glared at him over Vince's shoulder and the old man eventually pulled back, holding her at arm's length with a big smile.

''It's good to have you back, Alexa.''

''Thanks, boss.''

Nikki soon made her way backstage with Brie and the three women shared a hug and spoke for a few minutes before going their separate ways.

''Whooo! There's our new Diva's Champion!''

''Congrats, Lex.''

Alexa squealed when she suddenly found herself swept up into Chris' arms as she walked down the hallway, Phil laughing from beside him.

''Thanks, guys.'' She smiled as she was set back on her feet. ''Do you know where Jon is?''

''Last I saw, he was in the locker room.''

Nodding she started to head off down the hall, shouting over her shoulder. ''I'll catch you later!''

She eventually found Jon just where they said he was, the man mimicking Chris' actions and hoisting her into his arms. ''You were great out there. Think that was the first match with the twins in that didn't suck.''

Snorting, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing a tender kiss to the corner of his mouth. ''Thank you.''

''So, I was thinking-''

''Don't strain yourself.''

Her laugher was cut off when he teasingly nipped at her earlobe. ''We should go out tomorrow night. Sami called me ealier, he heard we were in Ohio tomorrow and wanted to know if we could make it?''

''We?'' She cocked an eyebrow in surprise. ''You told him about me?''

''Yeah.'' He gave a shrug. ''What's the big deal?''

''Nothing.'' She bit her lip to hide her smile. ''Sounds like fun.''

''Good. Now, I didn't get the chance to tell you earlier how much I like your new ring gear...''

* * *

**Drama coming in the next few chapters... **


	40. Chapter 40

**Monday 30th April**

The show that night went by in a flash.

Jon had won his dark match against Kevin Kiley Jr. and Alexa had successfully defended her Diva's Championship against both Nikki and Brie. WWE had later announced on their website that the Bella twins had been fired by Executive Administrator Eve Torres. Obviously, this wasn't the case. In reality, their contracts had just expired and they had decided against signing new ones.

Neither of them were booked at the Smackdown taping the following day, meaning they were free to let loose a little tonight.

''What time is he coming?'' Alexa called from the bathroom, applying a final coat of dusky red lipstick.

''Any minute now.'' Jon replied from the bed, where he was leaning against the headboard, flipping through a magazine as he waited. ''So you better move that sweet little ass of yours.''

''I'm done.'' She announced, walking back into the bedroom.

''Where's the rest of the dress?'' Jon asked, his gaze trailing down to her legs.

''Funny.'' She rolled her eyes.

She had changed into a black dress that stopped a few inches above her knees. There was silver surrounding the modest neckline, looking looked almost like a necklace and she had a matching silver cuff on her right wrist. Her dark waves had been lifted away from her face and twisted into a high bun. As she moved over to her case to shove her small make-up bag back inside, he was treated a look at the back of the dress or rather the lack thereof; every inch of her smooth, tanned back was revealed.

''You look-''

He was cut off by a sharp knock at their door and he watched with a chuckle as she darted across the room to swing the door open. She was met by the form Sami Johnston, otherwise known as Sami Callihan. ''Hi.'' She greeted shyly.

His tied-back hair was covered with a cap and he was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. A warm smile appeared on his face as he looked her up and down, raising his eyebrows. ''Shit, Jon, you've changed a lot since I last saw you! You've got a million times more sexy... and Mexican!''

Alexa snorted, hearing the man inside the room let out his own bark of laughter. ''I'm Lex, it's nice to meet you.''

His smile widened and he took her offered hand. ''Sami, feelings mutual.''

''Hey, no flirting with my girl.'' Jon's low voice sounded behind her and she stepped aside to let the men have their reunion. ''Great to see you, man.''

The pair shared a brief hug before separating, both men's eyes dropping down to her as Sami asked in amusement. ''We ready to roll?''

* * *

''So, what's the deal with you and Jon?''

Alexa glanced across the table at Sami, finding the playfulness that had lingered in his eyes all evening gone; replaced by curiosity and a hint of suspicion. ''Jesus, you don't waste your time, do you?''

He shrugged, leaning back in his chair as he took a swig of his drink. ''Just looking out for my boy.''

''I'm not going to screw him over, if that's what you want to know.'' She told him honestly. ''I like him... I like him a lot.''

''He feels the same.''

''Yeah?''

''Trust me, I've known him for years and I've never known him to be this hung-up on someone.''

She offered him a faint smile, he eyes wandering over to where Jon was standing at the bar before returning to Sami. ''I'm just enjoying it while it lasts.''

His brows furrowed in confusion. ''What do you mean?''

''Well, nothing last forever, does it?''

''Some things do.''

Alexa snorted, shaking her head slightly. ''I think all good things eventually come to an end, even if you don't want them to.''

''Pessimist.''

''Like Leonard Cohen said, 'I don't consider myself a pessimist. I think of a pessimist as someone who is waiting for it to rain. And I feel soaked to the skin'... speaking from personal experience, everything goes to shit.''

''It's almost like you want that to happen.''

''That's not it at all.'' She said vehemently. ''I just... I kind of expect it.''

They spotted Jon making his way back over to them and immediately dropped the subject. The pair grabbed their drinks as he set the tray down on the table; Jon seating himself beside his girlfriend as he took a sip of his beer.

''So, what have you two ladies been gossiping about?'' He teased.

Alexa turned to face him with an impish smile. ''Oh, I was just telling Sami about the awesome sex we had last night.''

Sami snorted his drink out of his nose at her comment, coughing for a few minutes before meeting Jon's eyes. ''She's pretty fucking cool, dude.'' He glanced across at Alexa, sending her a small smile. ''Don't let this one go.''

* * *

''Fingers are weird. Like our arms just split into other smaller arms.''

Jon laughed, he couldn't help but be amused by her drunken ramblings. ''_You're _weird.''

Alexa halted as they stepped inside their hotel room, bending down to sloppily yank off her shoes. ''Yeah, but that's why you like me.''

''That's true.''

She let out a high-pitched squeal as his arms suddenly wrapped around her and she found herself unceremoniously dropped on the bed. She laughed as she bounced a few times before her body stilled and she stared up at the ceiling.

The mattress dipped beside her and Jon dropped down to lay on his side; elbow propped up on the bed while his head rested on his hand. ''Tell me something... Remember ages ago, when Shaul said that you had a nickname for me?''

''You want to know what it was?'' She finished, looking up at him as he nodded. ''Any question you could ask, and you chose that?''

''It's been bugging me.''

''Dimples.''

''What?''

''Before I knew who you were, I used to call you dimples.'' She explained, giggling as she gently pinched his cheek. ''They're cute.''

Jon laughed, grabbing her hand and pressing a kiss to her palm. ''So, uh, I think Sami's your new biggest fan. He told me you two had a talk earlier.''

''What exactly did he say?''

''Just that it was obvious someone had really screwed with your head in the past and to make sure I treated you right.''

A smile curled at her lips. ''He's pretty cool.''


	41. Chapter 41

**Sunday 20th May 2012**

''Lex!''

Her lips curved into a smile as she pushed back the chair and stood, pulling the older woman into a tight hug. ''Hey, Vickie.''

After only seeing each other fleetingly a handful of times since Alexa's return, the two women had made plans to meet for lunch in catering before everyone arrived at the arena for the pay-per-view that night. The pair exchanged text messages and phone calls on a regular basis, it was rare that they got to meet face-to-face and spend some time together.

''You're looking great, Lex.'' Vickie looked over at her as she took a seat. ''Being back on the road has obviously been good for you.''

''I think it has. Among other things.'' She replied, the corners of her mouth turning into a coy smile

''Ah, yes, Shaul told me you were seeing someone. How's that going?''

''Really well. Jon's... he's pretty awesome.''

The other woman smiled at the happiness radiating from her. ''That's great, I'm really pleased for you. You deserve some happiness after... well, you know...''

''I know.'' Alexa replied, letting out a soft chuckle at the awkward way she cleared her throat. ''It's cool, Vick.''

''Speaking of Randy, how are things with that since you've been back?'' She questioned, her eyes lifting from the menu in front of her to search her gaze. ''Has he given you any more trouble?''

''Not for a while. A few weeks ago, he stopped me in the hallway to apologize.''

''You believe him?'' Vickie cocked an eyebrow.

''I don't know. I'm not even sure if I really care anymore.'' She chewed her lip. ''I mean, I get that we're going to see each other at work, it's unavoidable. But aside from that, I don't want anything to do with him. It's stupid but he still just makes me so angry... I can't help feeling like I did back then, you know?''

Vickie opened her mouth to speak before pausing, having an internal debate over her next words. ''Did you ever tell him?''

Alexa's eyes dropped back down to the menu, her mouth setting in a hard-line as she shook her head. ''No.''

She spoke softly. ''He deserves to know.''

''Can we drop it, please?''

''I've let it drop for four years, Lex.'' Vickie sighed as she watched the younger woman pointedly avoid her gaze. ''I watched as you lay in that hospital bed like nothing had happened. You didn't react, you didn't grieve... you didn't _do _anything.''

''Vickie-''

''You're like a daughter to me, you know that. I care about you and it makes me so, so happy that you're happy... but I really think you should tell him and get it all out in the open.''

''Like you said, it's been four years... I don't see how telling him now will achieve anything.''

Vickie reached out to take her hand in hers, holding it tightly. ''It means you can finally move on and try to let go of all the anger and hate you have for him.''

''That's never going to happen, Vick.'' She stated surely. ''I don't think I have it in me to forgive him for what he did to me.''

''You don't know until you try... I know he did some unforgivable things he deserves to know.'' She told her. ''You lost a baby, Lex... but so did he and he doesn't even know it.''

* * *

_July 14th 2008_

_''You need to hurry up and get out of here. I think I'm going to get kicked out if I get caught using their intercom to page Dr. Dre one more time.''_

_Alexa couldn't help but let out a soft snort as Shaul dropped into the seat beside her bed, her arms full of snacks from the hospital shop. _

_Vickie came stomping in behind her, not looking particularly impressed with her daughter. ''You really need to stop doing that.''_

_''Sorry.'' She replied, not sounding remotely apologetic as she rifled through the shopping bag. ''Oh, shoot, I forgot to get your candy. I'll be right back.''_

_Shaul rushed out of the door just as Alexa's doctor appeared, holding a clipboard and looking sombre. ''Miss. Torres... How are you holding up?''_

_''Fucking fantastic.'' She retorted sarcastically._

_''Lex!" _

_''What?'' Her eyes shot over to where Vickie stood. ''I've broken my neck and they said I'll never walk again. How am I supposed to feel?''_

_''I'm not going to pretend like I understand what you're going through, but what I can say is that we are going to do everything in our power to help you, okay?''_

_Unable to nod, she just blinked across at him before Vickie forced out a smile. ''Thank you, doctor.''_

_The doctor cleared his throat awkwardly. ''Uh... actually, the reason I came down here was... when we were treating you, we ran some tests, just as a precautionary measure. I'm really sorry to have to tell you this but I'm afraid you've lost the baby.''_

_''Excuse me?'' Alexa gaped at him, a look of stunned disbelief on her face. ''Did you just say 'baby'?''_

_''You- you didn't know you were pregnant?'' The doctor asked softly._

_''Is this some kind of sick joke? What the fuck?''_

_''I'm sorry, I just assumed you knew.''_

_Vickie shot the man a scathing look. ''Do you seriously think she would've wrestled had she known?'' _

_''Oh my God.'' Alexa clamped her eyes closed, feeling like the wind had been kicked out of her. ''This is not happening...''_

* * *

Maybe Vickie was right, maybe Randy did deserve to know. But there was one thing she had been wrong about.

She did grieve.

At first, she didn't really understand why she felt sad about losing something that she hadn't even known was there. But, after a while, it hit her. To her, the 'baby' had kind of represented her relationship with Randy; all the good things before they had been tainted by what he had done.

So, Alexa did what she did best and deflected; turning all the grief and pain into anger, which she directed towards Randy. It was her way of coping and it had worked well, so well that nobody had even noticed. Well, Chris and Jess had noticed that she was down and that's why they had her move in with them. But they didn't know why, only Vickie knew the full story.

The anger had lessened slightly over the years, and she often found herself wondering what her life would be like if the baby had survived. Would she be a good mother? Would they have been a boy or a girl? Would she have been able to forgive Randy, for the sake of the baby?

There was a long list of questions that she would never have the answer to. And that was still what bothered her the most, to that day; the 'what ifs'.

''Lex?'' Beth cautiously stepped into her view, frowning slightly as she looked down at her. ''Are you alright?''

Alexa heaved out a sigh as she ran her hand through her hair. ''Not really.''

''Want to talk about it?''

''I... I guess everything's just getting on top of me.'' She admitted softly. ''It doesn't help that the last time I was in this arena, I broke my neck...''

Beth's eyes widened. ''Shit, I didn't realize.''

''Yeah, I didn't until I got here.'' She gave a wry chuckle. ''It's just a weird feeling, you know?''

''I bet it is.'' The blonde slid onto the bench, wrapping a supportive arm around her shoulder. ''You want to know something that'll cheer you up?''

The Latina cocked an eyebrow at the woman. ''Go on.''

''Vince saw our practice earlier and loved it, so we're getting an extra ten minutes.''

''Seriously?''

''Seriously. We've got almost thirty minutes to show _everyone _what us 'women' are capable of.''

* * *

**Over The Limit **

_''This bout is set for one fall, and is for the Diva's Championship! Introducing first, the challenger; from Buffalo, New York... The Glamazon, Beth Phoenix!''_

_The fans near the barricade booed, earning themselves a stern glare from the blonde as she passed them on her way to the ring._

_''So, last month Nikki won the Diva's Championship from an injured Beth Phoenix.'' Michael Cole explained. ''Then, a week later at Extreme Rules, Sierra beat Nikki for the title. And the bad news for the Bellas didn't stop there. The following night on Raw, after losing their re-match, they were fired by Eve.''_

_''So this is essentially Beth's re-match, here tonight.'' King added._

_''That's right.''_

_The crowd let out a loud cheer as Sierra's music blared through the speakers, the woman appearing at the top of the ramp, grinning as she slapped the front of the title wrapped around her waist._

_''And her opponent; from __Juárez, Mexico, she is the WWE Diva's Champion... Sierra!"_

_''Oh, man!'' King cried excitedly upon seeing her. ''Did it just get a little hotter in here, Booker?''_

_Booker T laughed. ''Sierra is looking mighty fine tonight, King.''_

_''Well, guys, I hope Sierra knows what she's getting into.'' Cole interjected. ''Because, according to an interview on , Beth claims she plans on hurting Sierra here tonight. She said, quote, 'Sierra hasn't earned anything. She has no idea what she's gotten herself into.' End quote. Beth believes that Sierra swooped in and took the championship that was rightfully hers.''_

_''I had the chance to speak to Beth earlier.'' Booker added. ''She said she's focused and over her ankle injury. And tonight, she's going to bring a whole world of hurt to Sierra.''_

_King snorted. ''I don't think I've ever seen Beth Phoenix when she wasn't focused or didn't have that sour look on her face.''_

_The bell sounded, the two women staring each other down as they slowly began to circle each other. They lunged towards each other and locked up in the middle of the ring, both women__ vying for the upper hand as they grunted and shoved one another._

_Sierra finally managed to gain the upper hand, getting Beth in a headlock. The blonde powered out of it moments later, sending a few hard elbows into the champion's gut before throwing her towards the ropes. _

_Beth took her down with a powerful shoulder block on her return, landing a few vicious kicks to her stomach before yanking her up by her hair._

_''Watch the hair, watch the hair!" The referee warned._

_The Glamazon just hit him with a fierce glare before, once again, sending Sierra into the ropes, her arm outstretched ready to hit her with a clothesline on her return. Anticipating this; the brunette expertly ducked underneath and ran towards the ropes on the opposite side of the ring. _

_Just as Beth turned around, Sierra jumped, planting both feet on the middle rope and using it to springboard backwards and executing a picture-perfect moonsault. She didn't account for Beth's strength, though, the other woman catching her easily and countering her move into a scoop powerslam._

_''Whoa! Did you see that?!'' Booker cried._

_1-2-_

_Sierra kicked out as a replay played up on the screen. Despite the fans love for her, they let out a cheer as they watched it back, obviously impressed by the pure power of Beth Phoenix._

_''Sierra needs to learn that risks don't always pay off.'' Michael said. ''Especially when she's in the ring with Beth.''_

_Gripping Sierra's ankle, Beth dragged her into the middle of the ring before she dropped to the mat and locked in the inverted cloverleaf. _

_''Oh, look at this...'' Booker mumbled._

_Sierra cried out in agony as Beth applied more pressure to her leg, shaking her head stubbornly at the referee when he asked if she wanted to quit. ''No!"_

_King spoke. ''She's not givng up.''_

_''She might not have a choice.'' Michael scoffed from beside him._

_The crowd got behind Sierra as she started to slowly drag herself forward, a loud 'Sierra' chant flaring to life as she stretched her arm towards the rope._

_''Sierra determined here...''_

_''She needs to get to that bottom rope.''_

_Boos surrounded the arena when Beth briefly released the hold, only to drag the other woman back into the centre of the ring. She applied even more force to the hold, contorting Sierra's left leg in such a way that her foot was touching the back of her head. She was screaming in pain as Beth grabbed her boot and used it to whack the back of her head, the crowd letting out 'oohs' of sympathy._

_''What in the world?!''_

_''Using her own foot as a weapon here!'' Michael cried, impressed._

_The referee eventually intervened and tore the woman away, giving Sierra some breathing room. She staggered onto her knees, her hand flying to her back as her face screwed up in agony. The referee dropped to his knees beside her, making sure she was fit to carry on as Beth laughed from the other side of the ring._

_''The crowd going wild here, and I echo their sentiments, I can't believe I just saw that!''_

_King chuckled, agreeing with Michael. ''Your leg is not supposed to bend like that.''_

_Sierra was just starting to get to her feet when Beth rushed over, delivering a hard kick to the side of her head which sent her straight back down again. _

_Smirking, The Gamazon held up her hands, letting the referee push her away._

_Sierra used the ropes to drag herself up as the blonde approached her again. This time, she was ready and sent out a hard kick of her own, hitting Beth in the stomach. Letting out a wild scream, Sierra gripped onto the ropes with both arms and lifted her legs, clutching Beth's head between her ankles. _

_''Sierra still fighting.''_

_Booker laughed. ''She's like a little spark plug.''_

_Keeping one leg on Beth's shoulder, she raised the other one in the air before letting it drop down. It connected with the woman's head, sending her staggering back a few feet. Sierra moved towards her, intending to hit a running bulldog, only to have it countered into a scoop slam. Beth scored another two count before Sierra kicked out, much to the crowd's delight._

_Beth argued with the referee over the count before pulling the other woman to her feet, picking her up by her throat and throwing her into the corner. She hoisted Sierra up so she was perched on the top rope, hitting her with a few punches before positioning her hands at her crotch and neck. Using her pure strength, Beth lifted the other woman from the turnbuckle into a gorilla press. _

_''Oh my God, unbelievable!'' Booker called. ''Look at the strength here!''_

_''Gorilla press slam?'' King predicted._

_Beth carried Sierra into the middle of the ring, the woman kicking her legs frantically as she tried to escape the hold. It worked, Beth's grip faltered and she dropped down in front of the woman, quickly hitting her with an arm trap neckbreaker._

_''How much does Sierra have left?'' Michael asked as both women scrambled to their feet._

_''I don't even know how Sierra can stand after what Beth did to her leg earlier!'' King's tone was disbelieving as he watched the action in the ring._

_Beth was the first to her feet and started to rain down blow after blow on Sierra's head. The champion soon fought back, the two of them exchanging blows. Beth shoved her away and Sierra rebounded off the ropes, coming back to aim a kick at the other woman's shoulder. _

_Her foot was grabbed in mid-air, the blonde smirking as she swung Sierra's leg around and away from her. Sierra followed the momentum, letting the same leg come up as she jumped, hitting Beth in the temple with a dragon whip, sending the other woman to her knees._

_While she was stumbling to her feet, Sierra dashed towards the corner, running up the ropes like they were steps before launching herself backwards from the top rope. Flipping through the air to face Beth, she landed on her shoulder and swung her body around, planting her head first into the canvas._

_''Whoa!'' Booker yelled. ''What the hell was that?!''_

_''I think, ironically, that was a phoenix flying tornado DDT.'' Michael responded with a chuckle._

_1-2-_

_Beth only just managed to get her shoulder up before the referee slammed his hand on the canvas. Sierra pushed herself to her feet, her face set in a determined grimace as she bent down, grabbing onto Beth's head to pull her up. _

_The Glamazon weakly fought back but was subdued by a few elbows to the face before she was shoved towards the ropes. Sierra ended up bein__g the one thrust into them when Beth countered, but she countered that; pressing her hands down to the mat and performing a handspring back elbow off the ropes, à la Tajiri._

_Beth was down for the count and Sierra grinned, pointing over to the corner. She made her way to the turnbuckle and climbed quickly, balancing herself on the top before flying through the air. She executed the corkscrew shooting star press like she had a million times before, landing on Beth and hooking her leg for the pin._

_1-2-3!_

_The arena erupted in cheers as the referee raised her arm in victory, the other arm holding the title belt proudly above her head._

_''Here is your winner and STILL WWE Diva's Champion... Sierra!''_

_''Well, I think that was one of the best matches I've seen tonight, guys.'' Booker stated. ''Both women were on form tonight.''_

_''You're right, Booker.'' Michael voiced his agreement. ''And I think that'll be the last time Beth Phoenix underestimates Sierra.''_

* * *

''That was fucking amazing!''

Bryan snorted out a laugh at Phil's blunt declaration, the pair watching on in amusement as Alexa and Beth shared a lengthy hug. Their match was up next, and both men had watched the monitor intently as the two women had theirs. They had both performed exceptionally well, garnering a reaction from the crowd that was unheard of in the Diva's matches of late.

''I agree.'' Came a voice from behind the group, they all turned to find Paul striding towards them. ''It was fucking amazing.''

Alexa grinned at the man's words. ''Thanks, Paul.''

Beth shot her a smile. ''We wanted to show everyone what the Divas' division were capable of."

Paul nodded, folding his arms across his chest. "Well, I think you did. Hopefully now we can get Dunn on board and start changing things around here.''


	42. Chapter 42

**Wednesday 23rd May**

''So, what time's your flight tonight?''

Alexa glanced up from the plate of uneaten toast, meeting Jon's gaze with a blank look. ''Sorry, what?''

He eyes remained fixed on her, studying her intently for a few moments before finally speaking. ''What the fuck is going on with you, Lex?''

''What do you mean?''

''You've been acting weird the past few days, don't think I haven't noticed. And you're quiet... you're _never_ quiet.'' With a little more concern, Jon asked. ''What's wrong?''

She hesitated briefly, before sighing. As much as she wanted to open up and tell him, she knew it wasn't fair if he knew before Randy.

''It's nothing. I've just got a lot on my mind, that's all.''

''Such as?''

''Look, I really don't want to talk about it.'' She told him quietly, her eyes dropping back down as she pushed the food around her plate.

Jon gave her a serious look. ''I may not be an expert at this whole 'relationship' thing... but I'm pretty sure that's what you're supposed to do. You know, talk about what's bothering you and shit.''

''What is this? Fucking question time?''

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, not expecting her to react so badly to his probing. ''Lex-''

''Can you please just stop with the interrogation?'' She pleaded. ''I said I don't want to talk about it.''

''Fine.'' He stood up, abruptly, his face contorted in anger as he started towards the door.

''Jon-''

''I'll give you some space.'' He told her before storming out of her house, the slam of the door echoing around the kitchen. ''Let me know when you finally decide to let me in.''

''... shit.''

* * *

After a three-hour wait at the airport that had only added to her already foul mood, she was finally inside the plane, ready to take off for the six-hour flight to Mexico.

She hadn't spoken to Jon since he stormed out that morning and the fact that she would now be staying on a completely different time zone from him for almost a week put a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Alexa closed her eyes, letting out a long sigh.

''Oh man, I don't think I can handle sitting next to you for six hours.''

She opened her eyes, turning her head to find a smiling Jason, ready to take his seat next to her. ''Could be worse, you could be sat by Khali.''

''I think I'd prefer that.'' He teased, shoving his bag into the overhead compartment. ''So, you ready for the tour?''

''I am.'' A small smile curled at her lips. ''I haven't been back to Mexico since...2003, I think. I can't wait.''

Alexa glanced around; her eyes immediately landing on Randy several rows in front of her. Her mind took her back to the conversation she had with Vickie and she chewed her lip thoughtfully. The idea of telling him everything was eating away at her, she couldn't stop thinking about it. He _did _deserve to know, she knew that. Maybe this trip to Mexico would be the perfect time to get him alone and finally come clean. Then hopefully when she returned home, she could fix things with Jon and start looking to the future.

* * *

**Friday 25th May**

''What the fuck? Are you joking?''

_''No, Lex, I wish I was.''_

''Seriously?!''

_''Yes!''_

Alexa let out a surprised laugh. ''Shit.''

While some of the roster were touring Mexico, some of the others were touring Brazil. Among them, were Chris and Phil. They had a match the previous night and on the way to the ring, Phil had draped a Mexican flag over his shoulders. Chris had stolen the flag, screwed it up and kicked it away from the ring. A few moments later, police had appeared at ringside and told Chris that he could either apologize for his actions or go to jail. Chris had no choice but to grab a microphone and apologize, insisting what he did was only for entertainment purposes.

_''I went backstage after the match and there were soldiers with guns! I nearly shit my pants.''_

Her laughter got louder. ''I'm sorry, it's not funny.''

_''No, it isn't. Vince was pissed. He sent me a text saying, 'You will not be coming back to Brazil. What the fuck is wrong with you, why would you do something like that? I'm so angry at you'. So, I call him and tell him I was just trying to play the heel. He suspended me, told me to get on the next plane home and hung up on me. I don't even know how long I'm suspended for!''_

His indignant tone sent her into more peels of laughter. ''Well, look on the bright side; you can finally have that barbeque you've been wanting.''

_''... that's true...''_

They spoke for a little while longer before ending the call, Alexa immediately going into her messages to see if she had any new ones from Jon.

She didn't.

Suddenly, a new one popped up from Chris and she let out a snort as she read.

_**I've just read on that I've been suspended for 30 days. Also, Mike's filling in for me on the tour... How the mighty have fallen.**_

* * *

**Monday 28th May**

Alexa sat with her back against the barricade, watching as Beth and Victoria ran through their match which would be going in the Superstars taping later that night. She had already filmed her pre-recorded segment with Beth but didn't have a match herself, which was good, because she was beyond exhausted.

Along with Alberto, she was the only other Mexican on the tour so management had decided to send them on the media tour together. Along with the three live events, she had lost count of how many interviews, signings and appearances she had done.

And on top of that, her heart-to-heart with Randy had gone even worse that she was expecting. He had been livid when she finally told him about the miscarriage, she had never seen him that angry before. Luckily, before things could get too heated, Stephen had returned to the room he had shared with Randy and she had made a quick escape.

After calling a goodbye to the women in the ring, she headed up the ramp and made her way backstage. As she walked through one of the many hallways, she spotted Jon talking TJ Wilson, who he had a dark match with before the main show started. His eyes flicked up, catching hers and she quickly shied her gaze away, ducked her head and continued on down the corridor.

''When I said you could hide-out in my bus, that didn't mean you could eat all my food.''

Alexa cocked an eyebrow and deliberately pulled the spoon out of her mouth, sticking it back in the melting ice-cream. ''Well, maybe you should have been more specific.''

He rolled his eyes and hoisted his gym bag over his shoulder, making his way down the steps to the door. ''Just make sure you leave me some, alright?''

She smirked, lifting another spoonful into her mouth. ''No promises.''

He left and she found herself alone.

She snorted at the irony.

A few minutes later, she heard three sharp knocks and sighed, rolling off the sofa and jogging down to the door. ''Did you forget yo... Jon...''

''Punk told me you were in here.'' He said quietly.

''Of course he did.'' She muttered, biting her lip nervously as her eyes studied him. He looked gorgeous, as always, his hair an explosion of damp curls and several days worth of stubble shadowing his jaw.

''I-''

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence when the brunette moved down the steps and threw herself at him, clinging onto him as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. ''I'm sorry.''

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her closer. ''I'm sorry too.''

She reluctantly pulled back and jerked her head towards the bus. ''Let's go inside and we can talk.''

Jon nodded, waiting until she was inside before following her up the steps onto the bus. She dropped back onto the sofa and he followed suit, slipping into the seat beside her.

Rather awkwardly, the two of them stared at each other until Alexa finally cleared her throat, admitting. ''I, uh... I don't know where to start...''

''Do you trust me?''

''Yes.''

''Then you know can be honest with me.''

''I already know that.''

''Do you?''

''When am I _not_ honest with you?'' She questioned indignantly.

Shrugging, he gave her a pointed look. ''Sometimes, I don't think you're honest with yourself.''

Her mouth opened to snap out a reply before she slowly closed it, realizing that he was right. Swallowing heavily, Alexa tried to bite back the tears as she fixed her eyes on her lap. ''It's hard for me, to let my guard down and let people in. I just figure, there's no point getting too close, it's a waste of time, you know, when people are just going to end up leaving.''

''You can't live your life like that, Lex.'' Jon told her softly. ''It's not healthy.''

''I know, I'm working on it. It's... I'm just so used to people leaving... or not wanting me. I mean, if my own mother didn't want to stay by my side, then how can I expect anyone else to? I guess I just feel safer being independent instead of letting people get too close_. _Randy... he finally broke me down and I let him in, then the whole thing blew up in my face.''

His hand reached out to cup her chin and he gently coaxed her head up to meet his gaze. ''Listen to me, okay? I _want_ to be with you... and if you really want to be with me, then you need to let me in. Right now, it's like you're just waiting for me to fuck up and hurt you. I'm not going to. I'm_ not _your mother and I sure as shit ain't Randy.''

''I know you're not.'' She whispered. ''I'm working on it.''

''So, what was bothering you last week?''

''It's complicated. There's- there's stuff you don't know. I...'' She swallowed back a small sob.

''Talk to me, sweetheart.'' He whispered softly.

''When I got injured... after I woke up at the hospital, the doctor told me that...'' Her fingers tangled around each other nervously and she sucked in a deep breath to calm herself down. ''That I had been pregnant... but I, uh... I lost it. I didn't even know and...''

Jon's chest tightened painfully at her revelation, his expression softening as she bit her trembling lip before letting out a gut wrenching sob. He reached out, wrapping his arms around her as she buried her head in his chest. ''I'm so sorry.''

It took a few minutes for her to calm down and she reached up a shaky hand to wipe the tears pooling along her lashes. ''Vickie knew because she was there when they told me but I... I didn't tell anybody... I didn't tell Randy...'' She admitted, sniffling. ''Vickie brought the whole thing up last week, she said I should tell him... that's why I was such a raging bitch...''

''As much as I hate to admit it, I think she's right.''

''I know... I bit the bullet and told him while we were in Mexico. He was pretty pissed.''

''He didn't...'' He trailed off, letting the unspoken question hang in the air.

''No.'' Alexa shook her head quickly. ''No, he didn't do anything to hurt me.''

''Good.'' He let out a puff of air. ''Do you, you know, feel better now everything's out in the open?''

She pondered it for a moment before nodding, offering him a teary smile. ''You're taking this a lot better that I thought.''

He regarded her with a tender smile. ''I told you, I'll always be here for you, even when you try to push me away.''

Nodding slowly, she leaned up to capture his lips, her hand moving up to rest against his chest. Something surged through her as she felt his heart beating steadily under her palm; an emotion so intense, she knew there wasn't a single part of her that wasn't completely in love with this man.

* * *

**A/N - I'm starting to lose interest in this story again and would really, really appreciate if you took the time to review and let me know what you think. Who knows, maybe it'll give me some inspiration!**


	43. Chapter 43

**Monday 12th November**

_Screen falling off the door,_

_Door hanging off the hinges._

_My feet are still sore, _

_My back is on the fringes._

_We tore up the walls, _

_We slept on couches._

_We lifted this house, _

_We lifted this house._

Alexa was alone in the women's locker room of the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio where Raw was being held that night. She had been stretched out on the bench for a while, her iPod balanced on her stomach as 'Anna Sun' by Walk the Moon blasted through her ears.

Time seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye; a lot had happened over the last few months.

FCW had now fully merged with NXT.

Steve Keirn was still acting as president of the new brand. Canyon Ceman was the Senior Director Of Talent Development and serving as the Creative Director was Dusty Rhodes. Bill DeMott had replaced Tom Prichard as the head trainer and there were a several other new recruits. Joining Norman Smiley and Terry Taylor as trainers were Monty 'Billy Gunn' Sopp, Nick 'Eugene' Dinsmore and Darren's good friend Robert 'Robbie Brookside' Brooks. Also joining the training team, was one Sara Amato, more commonly known as Sara Del Rey.

Alexa had been a huge fan of hers for years, they had met briefly once before when Sara had stopped by FCW to visit Claudio shortly after he first signed with the WWE. The two women were widely regarded as two of the best female wrestlers in the world and a lot of people had voiced their desire to see the two women get in the ring together. Alexa hoped that one day, they would have that match.

Along with hiring new backstage staff; they had also signed some new developmental talent. Tenille Dashwood; she was an Australian wrestler going by the ring name Emma, and Benjamin Satterly. He was more commonly known as Pac, which was the name he had used while touring the indies, but he was using Adrian Neville as his WWE ring name.

Alexa hadn't been on any shows since October so with her being in Florida for the month, she had gotten to know both of them quite well. Tenille was a lovely, bubbly young woman and had immediately hit it off with Saraya, the two were almost inseparable. She got on the best with Ben though, both of them having an eerily similar in-ring style so she liked to spar with him whenever she got the chance.

Shaul had been granted a release from her developmental contract. She wanted to eventually enroll at college but that wouldn't be until after she sought treatment for an eating disorder. Alexa had felt so guilty, she hadn't even realized there was anything wrong until Vickie had called her out of the blue to tell her. But, she was getting better, that was the main thing.

Beth and Barbie had also both parted ways with the company. Beth because of family reasons and Barbie because she needed the time off to heal from a lingering neck injury. Chris had also departed again; he had plans to return once he had completed his Fozzy tour. Jason had aggravated an old shoulder injury, he was looking at a long leave of absence.

Back in May, a few days after her admission to Randy, he had been hit with a sixty day suspension. This time it was due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program. He had made his return at the end of July and somehow she had been able to avoid all contact with him. She usually saw him backstage in passing so she just assumed he was avoiding her, which suited her fine. They both needed to move on with their lives.

Her relationship with Jon was going from strength to strength, she had finally let her guard down around him and she had to admit, it felt pretty great. She had forgotten what a big deal it was, how amazing it was, to have someone who wants to hear about all the things that go on in your head.

He understood, or he tried his best to understand everything she went through. And for the things he didn't get, he just listened. He was always honest with her and gave her answers instead of excuses, no matter how badly she would take it. With Jon, she never had to be a simmered down version of herself. She didn't need to cover her mouth when she blurted something out, he never thought she needed a filter. She didn't care how loudly she laughed and how obnoxious it sounded, she was just her.

Alexa felt free, for the first time in a long time.

She still hadn't found the courage to tell him that she loved him. She wanted to, but there was still that fear of rejection lingering since he, too, had yet to say those three little words.

''Lex!''

She let out a cry of surprise, the voice startling her so much that she almost rolled off the bench, she quickly planted her hand on the floor to hold her up. There was a loud laugh that she immediately recognized as Phil's. Her headphones fell to the floor with a crash as her iPod, luckily, landed on her duffel bag near the bench.

Phil grabbed her arm and helped her up and she rewarded him with a punch to the side. ''Dick.''

''Paul's looking for you, they want to film your promo now.''

She crouched down and quickly tucked the iPod inside her bag before standing, a grin curling her lips. ''Sunday's going to be _awesome_.''

As had been the plan for a while; Jon, Joe and Colby would be making their debut on the main roster at Survivor Series. The whole thing had come about after a throwaway comment she had made a few months ago.

* * *

_''You and Jon had sex in my bed, didn't you?''_

_''What? No, of course not! Do you really think I'd be so disrespectful?''_

_''Well, no, I guess not... Sorry.''_

_''We did it in the shower instead.'' _

_Phil turned to glare at Alexa, letting out a string of curses when she took advantage of his momentary distraction; on the screen, the Big Boss Man pinned The Undertaker for the three count._

_"Yes!" She jumped up, dropping her controller on the couch and doing her victory dance._

_"How did you let that happen again?" Kofi laughed, looking over at the Chicago native._

_Phil just shook his head, too busy laughing at Alexa's ridiculous dance to answer his friend. ''You're not being a very good sport.''_

_She flipped him the bird, continuing to dance with a goofy look on her face. ''You're just jealous that I beat you with my mad skills.''_

_''You cheated.''_

_''Did not. Kofi, tell him.''_

_The man held up his hands, shaking his head. ''I'm not getting involved in another one of your spats.''_

_Alexa ceased her erratic movements, flopping back down on the couch with a sigh. The three of them were passing some time playing WWE video games while they travelled to the next show, the two men surprised to find that the younger woman had an uncanny ability to beat them. No matter their choice in superstar, she always won._

_''I used to love Boss Man's gimmick. Wouldn't it be awesome if they did that again? You know, get a few guys, dress them all up in the same kind of gear as Boss Man and have them go around beating people up.'' She mused, grabbing her controller and handing it over to Kofi so he could set up the next game before facing Phil. ''You should pitch it to Paul, it would make you're character look like even more of a pussy if you had, like, a security team helping you keep your title.''_

* * *

Phil had pitched the idea to Paul and Vince and they had loved it. They had chosen three members of the NXT roster who they thought were ready for the move up and who would mesh well together, forming a new stable.

The Shield.

* * *

**RAW**

_''Just fix it!'' CM Punk hissed before storming out of the locker room._

_Sighing, Paul Heyman watched the man leave before turning around to head the other way. He stopped dead in his tracks when he found Sierra standing in front of him; arms crossed over her chest and her head cocked slightly to one side._

_''Paul.'' _

_''Sierra.'' Mimicking her stance, he looked over her curiously. ''What are you doing here? I assumed you'd still be hiding under whatever rock you crawled under after your embarrassing loss at Hell in a Cell.''_

_''It's all in hand, Heyman.'' Sierra offered a small smile. ''Besides, you're one to talk. That whole fiasco with Brad Maddox was really quite pathetic.''_

_His eyes narrowed suspiciously. ''What do you want?'' _

_''Actually, I've got a proposition for you and-''_

_Paul barked out a laugh. ''I'm sorry, what makes you think I'd be interested in anything you have to offer?''_

_''Didn't you__just__hear Punk tell you to fix everything?'' She questioned, cocking a brow at the man in front of her. ''Or, maybe, you're losing your hearing as well as losing your touch.''_

_''I don't have time for this.''_

_He made to move past her, only for her to reach out and plant her palm firmly on his chest as she shot him a devious smirk. ''I swear, this will solve ALL your problems...''_


	44. Chapter 44

**Saturday 17th November**

_ RealSierra: __Let's be honest... 'Gay Divorce Court' would be the best thing to happen to daytime TV in the history of ever._

_** WWEBigE: I take that and raise you, 'Security Cameras of Wal-Mart.'**_

_ RealSierra: __'__Agin' Cajuns' - Golden Girls meets Swamp People: all the laughs, drama, and WTF's of a retirement home in Cajun country. Tagline - 'Where the bayou plays bingo'._

_** WWEBigE: 'Guerrilla Gardners' - Black ops with green thumbs. The real-life exploits of hobbyists who sneakily grow plants and landscape neglected corners of their town.**_

_ RealSierra: '__Wife Share' - Swinging couples swap spouses and compare sexual prowess. they're pitted against each other weekly and through online voting, one is sent on to the next round, while the loser is sent off to copulate with someone far less attractive. _

_** WWEAJLee: I can't decided what you two need more; professional help... or your own TV network...**_

Alexa put her phone back on the table, pulling the straw of her drink in between her lips as her gaze fell on the trio sat in the booth across from her.

After RAW in Columbus, Alexa had traveled over two hours to Cleveland for the SmackDown taping on Tuesday night, which as it turned out, she wasn't even needed for. From Cleveland, she had flown back home to Tampa for a few days before, finally, catching a flight to Indianapolis with Jon, Joe and Colby.

They had arrived at their hotel several hours before and, after checking into their rooms, headed down to the bar. Their conversation had inevitably turned towards their impending debut; Alexa watching on in amusement as Jon and Colby eagerly rattled out ideas for promos and angles, both men's excitement was obvious. Joe, however, seemed much more reserved than his new stable-mates.

''I'm going to go get us some more drinks.'' She told them, gesturing to their now empty glasses as she rose from her chair. ''You guys want the same again?''

Colby and Jon just nodded distractedly as they carried on talking, Joe rolling his eyes at them as he stood. ''I'll give you a hand.''

Alexa nodded, waiting until they were waiting at the bar until speaking. ''So, I thought you might be happier considering you're about to make your big debut, what's bothering you?''

''Nothing really, it's just... this is_ huge_.''

''You're worried it's too much, too soon?'' She probed gently.

He exhaled deeply, nodding. ''Jon and Colby both spent years in the indies, I've only been doing this for a couple of years. What if I'm not ready?''

''I never took you as the insecure type, Joseph.'' She raised an incredulous eyebrow.

''If I screw up, it's their careers on the line too.''

She smiled at the man behind the bar as he handed them their drinks, handing him some money before leading Joe back to the table. ''Man up, Anoa'i. Seriously, if you go in with that defeatist attitude then you're already fucked.''

* * *

**Sunday 18th November**

**Survivor Series**

_1-2-3!_

_''And here is your winner and still Diva's Champion... Eve!''_

_''Congratulations to Eve!'' JBL called from ringside, watching as the referee handed the woman back her belt and raised her arm in victory. ''What a great champion! Wouldn't you agree, Michael?''_

_''I think she's been a wonderful champion.'' Michael deadpanned from beside him. _

_Eve was gloating inside the ring, holding her title belt mockingly over Kaitlyn's prone form when she was suddenly taken down from behind._

_''Wait, is that-''_

_The crowd let out a huge cheer as Sierra mounted the champion, sending fist after fist flying into the champion's face. She only managed a few hits, the referee hooking an arm around her waist and quickly pulling her away the woman._

_''Get the hell off me!'' Sierra shouted angrily._

_She was dragged halfway across the ring before being released; the crowd letting out a unanimous 'ooh' when she spun around and kicked out her leg, hitting the referee right in the crotch._

_''What has gotten into Sierra?!'' King cried. _

_'Maybe losing her title to Eve sent her over the edge?'' JBL suggested with a shrug. ''Happens to the best of us, King.''_

_Sierra marched across the ring before dropping down, rolling under the bottom rope to the outside and making her way over to the timekeeper's area. ''Move!'' She shouted, shoving one of the men out-of-the-way so she could grab the chair he had been sitting on._

_''What's she doing?'' King wondered, watching as she headed back towards the ring, steel chair in hand. ''Oh no...''_

_Kaitlyn had just rose to her feet and was shakily leaning against the ropes, watching on in bewilderment as Sierra slid into the ring, making her way over to Eve. The woman's hands were holding her head as she stumbled around, face contorted in pain as she tried to get to her feet. _

_Sierra made sure that the champion wasn't able to catch her footing completely, swinging the chair around and slamming it with gusto into her back. Eve fell back down and the crowd fell into silence when she landed a few more hits to the fallen woman's back._

_''What has gotten into Sierra!'' King cried in shock._

_Just as Sierra raised the steel to strike again, Kaitlyn shook quickly stepped in front of the former champion and held her hands out, telling her that she had done enough._

_''Kaitlyn trying to reason with Sierra here.'' John pointed out._

_Kaitlyn grabbed hold of her arm, preventing her from doing any further damage._

_The crowd gasped in horror as Sierra wrenched her arm from her grip, was__ting no time in thrusting the chair into her gut. _

_''What the-''_

_''Oh my God!''_

_Kaitlyn cried out, dropping to her knees as Sierra quickly brought the steel back down onto her back. Her actions were met with an onslaught of heavy, volatile boos; the woman sneering as she landed hit after hit on Kaitlyn's back._

_''Sierra has lost it!'' JBL cried, appalled._

_It took four referees to wrench the chair from her grip and restrain her, the woman finally calming down as they forced her out of the ring. Medical staff rushed past to check on the two women as Sierra watched on; grinning like a maniac as she was dragged up the ramp._

* * *

Alexa smiled as she stepped through the curtain, still hearing the intense boos from the crowd that she had created. 'Sierra' had been over with the crowd for so long and a lot of people backstage didn't think she could pull off a heel turn, she was looking forward to proving them all wrong.

She hung back near the curtain for a few minutes, waiting to make sure Eve and Celeste were both alright before making her way through the backstage area to find Jon, Colby and Joe. Just as she reached their locker room, the door suddenly swung open and a frazzled-looking Samoan walked out, closely followed by his new stable mates.

''Lex!'' Colby was the first to notice her and held his arms out wide, looking at her expectantly. ''What do you think?''

''You look pretty badass.'' Alexa nodded, cocking her head to the side as her eyes wandered over the three men in front of her. They were all wearing the same outfit; black turtlenecks and black cargo pants which were tucked into matching combat boots. ''But you should lose the turtlenecks.''

Joe threw up his hands, shooting the other two a pointed look. ''See! It's not just me that hates it.''

''Babe, don't encourage him.'' Jon drawled with a roll of his eyes.

''I don't work my ass off at the gym so I can wear turtlenecks.'' He insisted, running a hand through his hair.

''I'm sure they'll change the gear if you tell them it's not working.'' She assured Joe with a smile.

''Well, I think we look great.'' Colby piped up with a grin.

''It's kind of cool that you're all covered up though, adds an air of mystery.'' She said, fidgeting with her top which was showing a generous amount of cleavage. ''I wish I had that problem sometimes...''

Jon cleared his throat meaningfully, causing the other two men to quickly avert their eyes. Their conversation was cut short as the sound of hurried footsteps reached their ears, the four of them turning to find a backstage assistant rushing down the hallway, coming to a halt just in front of them.

''Uh, Steve, what the fuck are those?'' Alexa asked bluntly.

In the man's arms were three large shields. _Actual_, honest to god riot shields which were made of fiberglass and had 'Shield' written up them in bold black letters.

''Pretty neat, huh?'' He grinned, handing each man one of them before starting to walk back the way he had came. ''Good luck for tonight, guys.''

They all mumbled a half-hearted thank you before he left, all three men looking down at their new gear in distaste.

''This is a joke, right?'' Colby asked, glancing around at the unimpressed faces before back down at the shield. ''They can't _actually _expect us to carry these out there with us.''

''Can you picture us trying to get in the ring with these things?'' Joe raised a brow.

Jon scoffed. ''We'll try to slide in, get stuck on the ropes and blow the whole thing.''

The image of all three men wedged under the bottom rope with their shields elicited a soft snort from Alexa, who quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

Joe frowned across at her. ''It's not funny.''

''Sorry. You know, yo- hey, Vince!''

The older man sauntered over to them, taking in their appearance with a small nod of approval before his eyes dropped to the objects in their hands. ''What are those?''

''Apparantly, somebody had the bright idea that 'The Shield' needed actual shields for people to know who they are.'' Alexa piped up, knowing that the others wouldn't want to speak out on their first official night.

He let out a chuckle before looking around at the men. ''You guys wussies? You need those things?''

The trio shook their heads, Joe letting out a loud scoff. ''No.''

''Good.'' Vince nodded with a smile. ''Leave them.''

* * *

**Survivor Series**

_''This Ryback is unstoppable! He's unbelievable!''_

_''Oh my God!''_

_''Wait, what in the world? What is this?!''_

_''Who the- What the- What is this?! These three guys just came rushing through the crowd and attacked Ryback!''_

_''What in the world...''_

_''Ryback was about to become champion! Punk was about to lose the championship!''_

_''This is an absolute mauling of Ryback. A pack mentality of these guys.'' Michael Cole's eyes widened as he got a closer look at the men attacking Ryback. "Wait, that man clearing things out here... He was a foot away from me. That's Roman Reigns! Roman Reigns from NXT! What is he doing here? And that's Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins! All from NXT! What the hell are they doing out here?''_

_His question was answered when the three men triple powerbombed Ryback through the announce table, CM Punk taking advantage and crawling over to John Cena, covering him for the win._

* * *

''From now on, we're in this together.''

''Totally.''

''Yeah, whatever happens, we do it together.''

Alexa grinned, overhearing the three men talking as they made their way backstage after their debut. Along with a lot of the roster, she had watched the main event of the pap-per-view on the monitor in catering. When they had emerged from the crowd she couldn't help but tear up, which April had found hilarious, but she knew how hard they had all worked and to finally make it was such a huge deal for all of them.

Her smile widened as she moved towards them, her heart pounding in her chest as Jon caught sight of her. With a grin so wide she thought his face might split in two, he opened his arms so she could jump into them. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she planted a quick kiss on his lips before hugging him tightly.

Jon placed her back on the ground and she stepped over to Joe and Colby, looping her arms around both men's necks and pulling them down into a hug. The pair shared a grin over the top of her head, their arms wrapping around her waist and spinning her around, Jon laughing at her squeals.

After untangling herself from the two men, she stepped back and beamed at them. ''You guys were awesome.''

The trio just stood there smiling at each other before Colby let out a loud cry of excitement. ''Guys, we were on a fucking pay-per-view!''

Jon smirked. ''You know, if we get hit by a bus on the way out of the arena tonight, I really don't care. We finally made it. They can't ever take that away.''


	45. Chapter 45

**Monday 19th November**

''So, we wanted to run a new storyline angle by you to see what you think.''

''Okay, shoot.''

As soon as they arrived at the Nutter Center earlier that afternoon, Colby, Jon and Joe had been whisked away to do a photo shoot while Alexa had been told that Stephanie wanted to see her. So, after dumping her bags in the women's locker room, she had headed straight over to Stephanie's office for the evening.

''So, the whole premise for The Shield is that they're a security team for Punk, hired by Paul Heyman to ensure he keeps his title. And Paul hired them through you, as we hinted at last week. We're not going to be revealing that to the fans just yet, but we need to have a reason for you to want to help Punk.''

Alexa nodded. ''I was wondering about that, actually.''

''Well, we were thinking of putting you two in a romantic angle...'' Stephanie's gaze was fixed on the younger woman. ''It would only be for a little while and, of course, you'd still be carrying on with the other angle and attacking the other women during their matches. We eventually want to have you align with The Shield but we need to build up to it.''

Alexa didn't say a word, just listened with a growing sense of dread.

''We'd start tonight.'' She handed her a revised copy of that night's script. ''When Punk has his celebration down in the ring, you'll go down to congratulate him, with a kiss, and we'll go from there.''

''So, will I be addressing the fact that I'm attacking the other Divas?''

''Not just yet. We'll wait until we reveal you as the one who brought The Shield across from NXT before we have you explain your reasons.''

''Okay.'' Swallowing hard as she flicked through the pages, she glanced up to meet Stephanie's eyes. ''Well, I guess I better go find Phil and go over everything.''

The older woman smirked. ''Remeber to keep it PG.''

* * *

''Uh oh, what's wrong with you, cranky pants?" Colby's teasing tone greeted her as she stomped their locker room.

Alexa turned her glare on him, silencing him immediately. ''Not in the mood, Cruella. Where's Jon?''

''He's in catering.'' Joe piped up as he moved past her into the room, glancing back at her with a smile.

''You guys mind if I wait here for him?''

''Sure thing.''

''No problem, Lex.''

Nodding, she stomped over to the bench and took a seat beside Colby, crossing her arms over her chest.

He gently nudged her shoulder with his. ''Aren't you a shiny, happy person today.''

''I've just had a meeting with Steph...''

''And?'' Joe prompted. ''What did she have to say that put you in such a shitty mood?''

The back of her head made a thud on the wall, and Alexa groaned. ''They're making me do a romantic angle with Phil.''

Colby snorted out a laugh. ''That's hilarious.''

Alexa raised a dark eyebrow, the scowl still curling her lips. ''It's not funny. It's fucking ridiculous. They've already got the whole Cena/A.J thing going on, why do they need us to do that shit too?''

Joe sunk down into the seat beside her, pulling the papers from her hand and skimming over the highlighted sections. ''This isn't too bad, there's even some notes at the bottom saying it's only a temporary angle.''

''Yeah, depending on the crowd's reaction tonight. If they like it, I think they'll carry it on.'' She ran a hand through her hair, biting her lip worriedly.

''Why are you so worried about it?'' Colby asked softly. ''You had that thing with Cena before, surely this will be easier because you and Phil are friends.''

She rolled her head against the wall, turning to face him. ''I don't know, this is just different. Phil's like a brother to me, it's just super weird.''

''You told Jon yet?''

''Told me what?''

Three pairs of eyes looked up to find the man in question strolling into the room.

Alexa pushed herself to her feet and grabbed her script back from the Samoan before walking over to her boyfriend, glancing up at him apprehensively. ''Have you got a minute so we can talk?''

A frown marred his face. ''Never in the history of the world, has a conversation that started with, 'can we talk,' ever ended well.''

''Come on.'' She grabbed his arm and pulled him from the room, closing the door behind them. ''So, Stephanie wanted to talk to me about the new angle they're having me doing. With Phil and then, eventually, you guys... and, well, I kind of have to kiss him later...''

Jon just stared at her for a few moments, his expression giving nothing away. ''Okay.''

''Okay?'' She repeated, raising an eyebrow. ''You're not mad?''

''Of course not.'' He shook his head, giving her a small smile. ''I mean, yeah, I don't particularly like the fact that another dude's going to get to put his hands on you but I get that it's just work. Besides, you and Phil are practically like family so I know I've got nothing to worry about.''

Alexa just gaped up at him in shock.

Back in 2005, when she had first told Randy about her upcoming storyline with John, he had been absolutely livid; his ego couldn't handle the fact that he had to share his girlfriend like that. Honestly, she had expected a similar reaction from Jon, but there he was, surprising her at every corner.

''I love you.''

Her eyes widened and she automatically clapped a hand over her mouth, not meaning to actually voice so loudly what she had been thinking.

''Shit, I-''

She was caught off-guard when he stepped forwards and softly pressed his lips to hers, effectively shutting her up. When they parted, she looked up to find Jon staring down at her with a boyish grin on his face.

''I love you too.''

* * *

**RAW**

_The show came back from commercial to show Paul Heyman standing in the centre of the ring. The canvas had been changed and was now covered in black with a big red X spread over it. Behind him, were two big posters of CM Punk and one showing where his title reign ranked on the list of greats._

_''Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman and-'' The man standing in the ring was cut off by a flurry of volatile boos. ''Alright. Hold on for one second. Let's get something straight, okay? You don't boo me! I'm here tonight to honour a man that has successfully defended the WWE Championship for three hundred and sixty-five consecutive days and you have the nerve to boo me?!''_

_The boos got even louder and he waved them off with a scoff._

_''Whatever. Are you angry at me? Are you upset with CM Punk because he successfully defended the title last night? Against BOTH John Cena and Ryback? Is that what's bothering you, ladies and gentlemen? Oh, maybe you're mad because last week we made fun of Jerry Lawler? _

_Last week had been Jerry's first night back following his heart attack and the two men had mockingly reenacted the event in the middle of the ring. _

_''Oh, boo. You tweet and you tout and you cry for the attitude era but when CM Punk and I give you a taste of attitude you don't really like it anymore, do you? You have the temerity here, in Dayton, Ohio, to chant 'ECW' at me. But when we give you just a little bit of the extreme, you don't really like it. You see, the problem is, I don't think the WWE Universe has ever been able to truly handle the greatness that stands before you. When your reigning, defending WWE Champion stands in this ring and makes history every single night by raising the bar so high, that even in the most hyper-competitive environment in WWE history, this man, for whom this celebration is about... stands head and shoulders above the rest. Not just in today's environment, but for ALL time. It's time, ladies and gentlemen, for you to put some smiles on your faces because THIS IS A CELEBRATION! A celebration of three hundred and sixty-five glorious days of the consecutive title reign of YOUR reigning, defending WWE Champion, and the BEST IN THE WORLD. Ladies and gentlemen, I am honoured, humbled and privileged to present to you... CM PUNK!''_

_The static hit and despite the majority of the crowd booing the man appearing at the top of the ramp, a lot of cheers could be heard._

_''I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted just hearing that introduction!'' King laughed from ringside._

_''Well, it's his night.'' Michael Cole added. ''Three hundred and sixty-five days, CM Punk has held the WWE Championship.''_

_''What about that shirt he's wearing tonight? He's a 'Paul Heyman Guy'.''_

_''You know, we say a lot about the way that CM Punk has held onto the title, he has survived a number of times but you really have to go back and look at some of the people that CM Punk defeated over the past year to realize how much of a feat this has been, King.''_

_The man proceeded to list the people who CM Punk had beaten while the man in question slowly made his way down the ramp with a smug grin on his face. Paul Heyman clapping enthusiastically from inside the ring as he watched on._

_''Nobody, including myself, is going to argue the fact that you have to respect what he's done.'' King stated. ''In just being the champion for three hundred and sixty five days. And you have to respect the WWE Championship. But, you don't have to respect the individual. Like you said, Michael, the things he says, the lack of respect he shows others... I don't think he, personally, deserves that respect.''_

_After sharing a hug with Paul, the champion moved over to the corner, looking as though he was going to move to the top and pose for the fans. He looked around at the audience for a second before waving his hands dismissively, turning away with a sneer._

_''See, there?'' King pointed out, watching as the man did the same at the other corner. ''Heck with you, WWE Universe.''_

_''Is Heyman crying?'' Michael asked incredulously. _

_The music faded out as the older man handed Punk his microphone; the young man shaking his head and moving to the corner to request his own._

_''Those tears are about as real as his heart attack last week.'' King commented wryly._

_Punk moved into the middle of the ring, laughing as he pumped his arms up and down to encourage the crowd to boo even louder._

_''Shawn Michaels, he couldn't do it. Triple H couldn't do it. Bret 'The Hitman' Hart; best there is, best there was, best there ever will be... could not do it. I guess that makes me, the best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be?'' He turned to Paul, who nodded. ''The Undertaker. Could. Not. Do. It. And Dewie. Sorry, Dwayne. The Rock. Couldn't do it. Three hundred and sixty-five days as WWE Champion. One calander year.''_

_He pointed over to the titantron where a video package started to play; showing all the highlights from his year-long reign as WWE Champion. Punk watched on happily and the crowd clapped when it had finished, a loud 'CM PUNK' chant starting up._

_''Today is a very special day. It's a night of celebration. But it's not just about honouring the past. It's about looking forward to the future. It's about recognizing my spot, my place in history. And I know my place in history, it's at the top. Can't stop, won't stop until I'm on the top of everybody's list. This list.'' he stepped back, pointing to the large poster showing the ten longest WWE title reigns in history. ''That's why I'm already looking to the future. I have a goal, I have my sights set on July 25th 2018 on what will be the three hundred and fifty-fifth episode of Main Event, when I surpass Bruno Sammartino as the longest reigning WWE Champion in history.''_

_Paul moved closer to him. ''You know, when I was just a little kid running around as a photographer in Madison Square Garden, I knew Bruno Sammartino. I liked Bru- I was a fan of Bruno Sammartino's. Bruno Sammartino belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame just as you will be an inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame. But, truth be told, Bruno Sammartino could never beat CM Punk. As a matter of fact, truth be told, Hulk Hogan could never beat CM Punk.''_

_The crowd booed as Punk mockingly did Hulk Hogan's famous routine around the ring, raising his arms to cup his ears with his hands._

_''As a matter of fact, another Paul Heyman guy... Stone Cold Steve Austin could never on his best day beat CM Punk. As a matter of fact, at the Royal Rumble, it's going to be proven that not even The Rock can beat CM Punk.''_

_''Thank you.'' He reached out to place a hand on the older man's shoulder. ''Thank you very much for setting all this up, Paul. I appreciate it.''_

_''It was my honour.''_

_''A lot of people ask me very important questions specifically about my title reign, as historic and epic as it is, and one of the more frequent ones they ask me is what my most important victory has been. Before last night, I'd be hard pressed to come up with a single one, because, let's be honest, there's been a lot of victories. But last night at Survivor Series, beating Ryback and John Cena single-handedly in the same match... number one with a bullet. And I'll tell you why; it's because nobody thought I could win. All of you.'' He pointed at the crowd. ''Maybe it's because you're losers yourself, thought I was going to lose, I don't know. Only two people believed that I could pull off the impossible and they're both standing in this ring. With the odds stacked up against me-''_

_**She takes to the spotlight, to the stage.**_

_**You can tell she craves it by the look on her face.**_

_''What's Sierra doing out here?'' King wondered, watching as the woman appeared at the top of the ramp._

_''Your guess is as good as mine, King.'' Michael replied. ''Last night at Survivor Series we saw her launch a vicious, unprovoked attack on both Eve and Kaitlyn after their match. And tonight, she did the same during Kaitlyn and Aksana's match.''_

_King snorted. ''At least tonight she didn't bring the chairs out.''_

_''No, but it was still totally uncalled for.''_

_The crowd was a mix of heavy boos and cheers as she climbed into the ring, moving past the two men with a smirk and going to grab herself a microphone. _

_''What are you doing here?'' Paul sneered at her as she approached them._

_Sierra raised the microphone to her lips, raising an eyebrow. ''Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I heard you say earlier that everyone was invited?''_

_''Well, yes, but-''_

_''But nothing.'' She countered with a shake of her head. ''I decided to accept the invitation you so graciously extended, so I could come down here and personally congratulate our WWE Champion. We are friends, after all.''_

_''Were friends.'' Paul corrected with a laugh. ''I think you're just out here tonight because you know you'll never get a celebration like this for yourself, so you had to come and encroach on CM Punks.''_

_''Paul-''_

_''So cynical, Paul.'' Sierra cut across the other man. ''Like I said, I just came down here to congratulate Punk. Three hundred and sixty-five days as champ is extremely impressive.''_

_''Oh, it is. Much more impressive than your meager one hundred and eighty-two days as WWE Diva's Champion.''_

_''You want to know what else is extremely impressive?'' Her eyes narrowed at the man in front of her. ''The impeccable timing of Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns last night.''_

_The crowd jeered at the mere mention of the three men from NXT, Paul's eyes widening as she continued. _

_''Which, obviously, was just a happy coincidence.''_

_Paul puffed out a sigh of relief as the woman shot him a subtle wink, the other man in the ring completely oblivious to their exchange. _

_''Exactly!'' CM Punk exclaimed, slinging an arm over her shoulder. ''See, people, she gets it. It was just a coincidence. Serendipity, if you will.''_

_Sierra shook her head in disbelief as the audience, once again, started to boo him. Shifting out from under his arm, she moved to stand in front of him. ''Ignore all these losers, who cares what they think?'' She scoffed, the boos increasing in volume. ''Just now, you said only two people believed that you could pull off the impossible last night and beat Ryback and Cena to retain your title. Well, you were wrong, there's three.'' She shared a look with Paul. ''I knew for a fact that you would walk out of Survivor Series as WWE Champion.''_

_''Why's that?'' He questioned, arching a brow. _

_''I __**believed**__.''_

_''Than-''_

_Punk's words of thanks were cut off when she dropped the microphone and suddenly pressed her lips to his. The cheers from the crowd were deafening and Paul's mouth dropped open in shock._

_''Oh my God!'' King cried. _

_Michael chuckled. ''Looks like Sierra has her own way of congratulating Punk!''_

_The kiss only lasted a few seconds before Sierra backed away from Punk, the man looking down at her with a confused expression. She smirked at Paul as she passed him, stepping through the ropes and jumping down to the ground. _

_**FEED ME MORE**_

_''Oh come on! It's a celebration!'' Punk cried angrily._

_''I don't think he's here to celebrate!'' Michael said._

_Sierra had frozen at the bottom of the ramp as soon as the music hit, her eyes widening in surprise._

_''Sierra needs to get out of there!'' King shouted. _

_She had her hands held up in front of her defensively as Ryback approached, the man eventually coming to a halt just in front of her, shouting at her to get out-of-the-way. When she didn't move fast enough, he gave her a light shove and she tripped over a wire, sending her stumbling backwards._

_''Hey, that- Wait a minute! It's those guys again!''_

_Sierra had been caught by the strong arms of Roman Reigns before she met the ground, while Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins launched themselves towards Ryback. _

_''Oh my God!'' King muttered._

_''Reigns! Rollins and Ambrose! The three men that cost Ryback the title at Survivor Series!''_

_''Did Reigns just HELP Sierra?!'' King exclaimed in shock._

_Once she was back on her feet, Sierra quickly made her way to the back while Roman ran over to join the other men in their attack._

_Ryback managed to fight off all three men and was just about to step through the ropes when his leg was grabbed by Dean, who held on tight. Seth rolled into the ring and landed several heavy punches to the big man while Dean kept him in place. _

_''These kids from NXT, the developmental program, for some reason they're here and they've targeted Ryback!''_

_Heyman quickly exited the ring as the men inside continued to brawl, Punk pressing himself tightly into the corner. It lasted a few more moments before they, too, ended up on the outside of the ring._

_''They're like a pack of dogs!''_

_''Let's do it again, King!'' Roman hollered as he pulled out all the monitors, clearing the announce table._

_''Oh, no...''_

_''That psychopath just shouted, 'let's do it again', in reference to what they did to Ryback last night at Survivor Series!''_

_Just like the night before, the three men hoisted Ryback up onto Roman's shoulders and sent him through the table with a powerbomb. The three men stood over the fallen man, staring for a few moments before their gaze turned towards Punk in the ring. _

_Paul just shrugged when CM Punk looked towards him questioningly. He stepped out of the ring as the three men climbed in; the crowd booing as he edged down the steel steps, keeping his eyes on the men inside the ring._

_He shared a few words with Paul before he slowly walked over to where Ryback lay, laughing as he lifted a foot to rest on the man's chest. ''I'm the BEST IN THE WORLD!''_

* * *

As soon as she walked through the curtain, Alexa was greeting by a grinning Stephanie McMahon. ''That was great! The whole thing was great, good job.''

''I'm really sorry I tripped over that wire.'' She sighed, knowing it wasn't part of the plan. ''Ryan pushed me harder than I was expecting and then my fucking shoe got caught... I think Joe caught me purely out of instinct.''

Stephanie shook her head, the smile never leaving her face. ''No! It was a nice touch actually, gives a hint of things to come.''

Alexa gave a relieved smile. ''Good, I was worried there for a second.''

''Don't be. And speaking of things to come, here's your itinerary for next week that I meant to give you earlier.'' She handed her some more paperwork. ''There's some radio shows we have you booked at to promote the shows in Louisiana next week.''

Her eyebrows shot up. ''By myself?''

''Well, we were going to send you with Paul and Phil. But then we thought that the three of you doing interviews together was just asking for trouble.''


	46. Chapter 46

**Monday 26th November **

_''Welcome to the Chaz and Dave show, we'll be joined by WWE Diva Sierra after this song, which she hand-picked herself.''_

* * *

'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out' by 'The Smiths' started flowing through the speakers of the stereo.

While Alexa was off doing her media morning to promote that night's Raw in Louisiana; Colby had dragged Joe and Jon to CrossFit Lafayette. They had just completed their workouts when the voice on the stereo had caught their attention and they turned the volume up.

* * *

_''Chaz is running a little late so you're stuck with me for now! Nice song choice! Albeit a strange one, I wouldn't have pictured you listening to that. You must have been really young when it actually came out?''_

_**''Uh, that song wasn't actually released until '92 but it was on their album 'The Queen is Dead' which was out in '86 I think. So, I was just a baby.''**_

_''I can tell just from that, that you're a pretty big music fan!''_

_**''Totally. I'd be lost without my iPod. Travelling as much as we do, we need something to pass the time.''**_

_''Okay, what are some of your go-to favourite bands to listen to when you're on the road?''_

_**''Pearl Jam, AC/DC, The Smiths, Radiohead, Alabama Shakes, Florence + The Machine, Seether, Alt-J, Paramore, Ed Sheeran... seriously dude, we'll be here all day if you let me carry on!''**_

_''Quite the eclectic mix there.''_

_**''Yeah, I'll listen to pretty much anything.''**_

_''Who do you travel with?''_

_**''At the moment I'm travelling with Seth, Dean and Roman.''**_

_''They're the new guys, right, The Shield?''_

_**''That's right.''**_

_''What's their deal? Are they in with Punk or not?''_

_**''Ah, you'll just have to wait and see, Dave. But, before that, I was travelling with Punk for a while.''**_

_''I'm going to put you on the spot now, who is your favourite travel buddy?''_

_**''Dude, that's not fair. They both have their good and bad points... I'll have to go with The Shield, despite Seth's questionable taste in music. Punk can be the grumpiest person in the world, so that kind of sucks the fun out of it. But, then there are times when we have such a blast.''**_

_''I bet you have some funny stories?''_

_**''I do, but I don't think I can repeat any of them on here! Uh, there was this one time when me and Punk were travelling together. We were both starving so we stopped at a Burger King, we ended up waiting in line for about thirty minutes. There was this kid behind us screaming about how he wanted pie for the entire time, it was hell. By the time we got to the counter we were in such bad moods and wanted revenge, so we ordered all the pies.''**_

_''All of them?''_

_**''ALL of them. We ordered twenty-five pies. Then we grabbed a table opposite the kid and his mom and ate them all while we stared at them.''**_

_''That's amazing!''_

_**''I know, right! We thought it was hilarious until a couple of hours later when we had to pull over on the highway, both of us throwing up by the side of the road. But, it was worth it.''**_

_''I guess that's karma for you! So, since we announced that you would be coming on the show, we've had a lot of people e-mailing in, asking us to check if you wear contacts or if your eyes are actually that colour?''_

_**''Oh my God, I literally get asked this all the time. I don't wear contacts, I have a form of heterochromia and this is their real colour.''**_

_''Really? Wow. For those of you at home, I am currently staring into her eyes and can confirm that they are a beautiful shade of royal blue/violet. So, you and the rest of the WWE are in Louisiana for Raw tonight, is that right?''_

_**''Sure is. We're over at the Cajundome tonight for Raw and then tomorrow night we'll be at the Century Link Center in Bossier City for the Smackdown taping.''**_

_''And will you be performing tonight?''_

_**''Well, I will be on the show tonight but no, I don't have a match.''**_

_''That's a shame, I've seen a lot of your matches and they're really something to watch. I loved the one you had against Beth Phoenix a couple of months ago.''_

_**''Thank you.''**_

_''So, we know that you grew up around wrestling, what with you Dad being a prominent performer in Mexico. Who were some of your favourites growing up?''_

_**''Without a doubt,'Rowdy' Roddy Piper. I love the guys that can talk as well as get it done in the ring. I've got a lot of love for Mick Foley, too. And, this is going to sound completely crazy, but I'm a big fan of Johnathan Coachman. He did such a great job during his time with the company. Every single time he was there, he just really brought out the personality of the person he was interviewing.'' **_

_''Yeah, he had a lot of great moments, especially with The Rock. So- oh, looks like Chaz has finally arrived!'' _

_''Hey, people, sorry I'm late. Nice to meet you, Sierra!''_

_**''Yeah, you too.''**_

_''So, where was I, ah, I was going to ask you how you feel about being classed as a 'Diva' in the WWE and not as a 'Superstar' like the men are?''_

_**''Well, honestly, it used to bug me a little. But apparently the term 'Diva' comes from the Italian word for Goddess. So, I guess it's not all bad.''**_

_''Is that true? Huh, guess you learn something new every day. So, doing what you do, obviously how you look plays a big part. Would you ever consider, like, botox or anything in the future?''_

_**''Pfft, no. Botox? I don't get it. I think freezing your face muscles with bacteria scraped from improperly handled meat products is a pretty stupid idea. I think once we begin**__** to celebrate what our body does, rather than obsessing on how it looks, we start to appreciate our body as an instrument rather than an ornament.''**_

_''Very good point. There is a lot of pressure put on women to look a certain way, especially in the media.''_

_**''Exactly. Hours of make up and lighting and photoshopping are used to create an image these days. Girls shouldn't be looking at these images as something to strive for. It's not reality. If tomorrow, women woke up and decided that they really liked their bodies, just think how many industries would go out of business.''**_

* * *

''Who knew she was so articulate?'' Colby raised his brows, glancing over at the two men on the bench opposite him.

''That's my girl.'' Jon smiled proudly, listening as Chaz suddenly butted into the conversation.

* * *

_''Sorry, Dave, I just wanted to throw my two cents in. Now, I'm not a big wrestling fan but even I know that the 'Divas' are there just to be eye-candy, the only reason people actually stick around to watch the matches are to see women fighting in skimpy outfits. People use the short amount of time given to the women's matches to either go to the bathroom or to jerk one out. You'll never be taken seriously as a wrestler.''_

* * *

Jon, Joe and Colby shared a look of disbelief at the man's comment.

''He can't say that!'' Joe growled angrily.

''What a dick.'' Colby mumbled.

Jon just laughed. ''She's going to rip him apart.''

* * *

_**''Okay, first of all; that was completely inappropriate, not to mention rude. Yeah, its common knowledge that women's wrestling isn't considered to be on par with the men's. Women's wrestling is an underdog, looking to break through that glass ceiling and receive the respect it deserves. The only way we can move past sexism is if ignorant people like you let go of the perception that we're just there to look pretty and start paying attention to what we can actually do in the ring. You should treat us with the same respect that you would any male wrestler because I can guarantee you that any women who have stuck it out in the business of professional wrestling are the ones who love it the most.''**_

_''Chaz, man, I think you should just leave, go and have a think about what you've just said... I just want to apologize to Sierra and to everybody listening at home for Chaz's comments. I assure you that the management team will be dealing with him shortly.''_

_**''It's cool.''**_

_''So,I can tell that you're really passionate about what you do, which is great. Tell us about your injury and how you felt getting back in the ring after four years...''_

* * *

Alexa and Dave spoke for a few more minutes before finishing up. Chaz never came back, and she found out once the interview had finished that he had been sent home and would be having a performance review in the next few days. The radio station manager had offered his apologies for the man's behaviour which she had accepted, despite her insistence that it wasn't his fault.

As she walked through the building to the waiting car outside, she pulled out her phone to survey the damage. #WWEDivas and #GoddessSierra were trending on Twitter, which made her lips curve slightly.

The smile slowly slipped from her lips when she saw she had a new text message from Mark Carrano; the Director of Talent Relations. Hesitantly pressing open, she quickly scrolled through the text and let out a breath of relief.

_Lex, great job on that interview, you handled yourself very well. It's given us some ideas for a new t-shirt for you. Come by my office tonight when you get to the arena._

* * *

''Yo, jailbird!''

Alexa laughed as she jogged to catch up with Celeste, slinging an arm around the younger woman's shoulders.

''Please, don't. April's been giving me enough shit as it is, I don't need it from you too.''

Last week at the Smackdown taping in Grand Rapids, Celeste was arrested shortly after arriving at the arena. Apparently the last time she was in Michigan she had been issued with a speeding ticket which she had then forgotten to pay. Police had showed up at the arena on Tuesday with a warrant and had carted her off to the station.

''Everything sorted now?''

''Yeah, thank God.'' She sighed. ''I paid the fine and the excess and it's all done with. Mark gave me a bit of a talking to, but I think I got off pretty easy, all things considering.''

''Well, everyone makes mistakes. And it's not like you were caught drink driving or anything like that.''

The pair spent a few more minutes catching up before heading off in opposite directions; Celeste to catering and Alexa to Mark's office. After a brief meeting with him, she wandered back through the arena towards the locker rooms.

''Lex!''

Spinning around, her eyes fell on the three newest members of the roster and she greeted them with a warm smile. ''Hey guys, nice gear.''

The wardrobe department had finally relented and given them some new gear, much to their relief. It was the same sort of thing, but they had ditched the turtlenecks, swapping them for black utility vests.

''Yeah, looks better, right?'' Joe asked with a smirk.

''Totally.'' She tore her gaze away from Jon's form, the sight of him in his gear sending a flash of heat to her groin. ''Uh, so what have you guys been up to?''

''We just filmed our interview with Michael Cole and recorded some things for our entrance theme.'' Jon drawled.

Colby nodded with an excited grin. ''We should get to hear it next week, it's going to be awesome.''

Alexa chuckled at his exuberance. ''Well, I'm glad you're having a good day. My morning was awful, I had the interview from hell.''

Joe frowned sympathetically. ''Yeah, we know.''

''You were listening?''

The trio nodded, Jon speaking up softly. ''He was way out of line. I half-expected you to punch him.''

''I was tempted, believe me.'' She snorted. ''But he wasn't worth losing my job over.''

''Well, you handled it really well.'' Joe smiled as he moved past her, giving her shoulder a squeeze as he looked back at Colby. ''We'll leave you two to it, we're going to go get some food.''

Jon waited until they were out of sight before pulling her into his arms and firmly planting his lips on hers before she could speak. Slipping her hand under the bottom of his vest and scraping her nails over his chest, Alexa sucked hard on his bottom lip, eliciting a small growl from the man.

''I feel like we haven't been alone in so long.'' He murmured against her mouth. ''We've been so busy.''

Alexa reluctantly broke the kiss, glancing around the secluded hallway while her hands gently ran over his stomach. ''We've got time now...''

He raised an eyebrow and, without saying a word, grabbed her hand and led her down the hallway. After a few minutes of walking, they came to a disused part of the arena and he quickly yanked down the handle of a door. He pulled her inside the pitch black room, locked the door behind them and had her up against the wall before she could do anything.

Jon grabbed both her wrists, holding them in a firm grip above her head while he used his knee to push her legs apart before coming to rest at the apex of her thighs.

He was right; since his move up to the main roster they hadn't had any time to themselves, she couldn't even remember the last time they had sex. But was work really the best place to be doing this?

''Jon, may-''

She was cut off mid sentence when his lips crashed down against hers, the sound of her moan echoing through the room. She felt him smirk against her lips before his grip on her wrists vanished; his hands sliding down to pick her up by the back of her thighs.

Automatically, her legs wrapped around his waist and he steadied them both against the door, grinding his hips against her pelvis slow and methodically. His lips left hers and kissed their way down her jaw before finding the sensitive spot just below her ear, another low moan falling from her lips.

Her fingernails dug into the soft skin under his vest as his lips began to suck on her pulse point, her eyes rolling into the back of her head when she felt his erection covered crotch brush a little harder against hers.

Jon's hand snuck under her tank top as he continued to tease her neck, smirking when he felt her pulse racing against the tip of his tongue. He snaked his other hand around her, quickly unclasping her bra before dropping it down to squeeze her jean covered rear. He yanked at the front of her bra, pulling it down to release her breasts. Her skin broke out in goosebumps as his palms reached up to cup them, brushing teasingly over her nipples.

''Jon...''

He quickly covered her lips again, his mouth capturing her moans as he plucked at her nipples; grinding himself purposefully up against her.

Alexa couldn't think straight, she had never been this turned on in her entire life. Every time he ground himself into her, the layers of her clothing caused red-hot friction as it brushed against her nub and she was helplessly moving her hips in time with his.

He pulled back, eyes watching her own as he plucked her nipples harder; his tongue darting out to moisten his lips as he listened to her labored breathing. Suddenly, he pressed his pelvis against hers and she tightened her grip on his shoulders.

She moaned as a surprisingly intense orgasm ripped through her. Her body twitching and arching against him, fingers curling into the front of his vest. ''Oh… fuck…''

''Oh, sweetheart, did you just...'' He chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as it fell forward onto his chest. ''That was just a taster of what I plan on doing to you later.''

''You don't want to...'' She trailed off, biting her lip as she moved her hips forward against the noticable bulge in his pants.

He groaned before gently setting her on her feet, leaning down to place his mouth next to her ear. ''As much as I want to, there's not enough time in the world for what I want to do to you right now.''

* * *

**RAW**

_''Vickie!''_

_The Raw Managing Supervisor lowered the magazine she was reading with a sigh, rolling her eyes at the woman who had just stormed into her office. ''Can I help you, Sierra?''_

_''Yes, actually!'' The younger woman planted her hands on her hips. ''I want to know why I haven't got a match tonight.''_

_Vickie shrugged. ''Well, what with you gallivanting around with CM Punk now, I wasn't sure if you'd have time for a match.'' _

_''I want-''_

_''I really don't care what you want. I know what's best for business, which is why I'm the one in charge here, not you!''_

_''If you really knew what was 'best for business', Vickie, then you would have me out in that ring every week. I am the best Diva on the roster right now and, if I remember correctly, I'm still owed a re-match for the Diva's Championship. I want it at TLC.''_

_''Well, I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait. We already have a Diva's Championship match booked for the pay-per-view. On the pre-show, Alicia Fox, Aksana, Naomi, Cameron, Tamina, Kaitlyn, Layla, Natalya and Rosa Mendes will be competing in a 'Santa's Little Helper' battle royal for the number one contendership. The winner of that match will then face Eve later in the show.''_

_Sierra narrowed her eyes angrily, stepping towards her. ''So, you're telling me, that all those pathetic wannabes will be getting a shot at that title, before me? How is that fair?!''_

_Vickie smirked up at her. ''Maybe you should have thought about that before you left to sulk for a month after losing it.''_

_''You-''_

_A pair of strong arms looped around Sierra's waist just as she was about to lunge towards the woman. ''Cool your jets, hot stuff.''_

_She angled her head to find CM Punk staring down at her, letting out a huff. ''Fine.'' _

_Her body stilled in his arms and he nodded, releasing his grip and moving to stand in front of her; a scowl appearing on his face._

_''Punk.'' Vickie sighed heavily, her eyes landing on the two men. ''Paul.''_

_''I want you to tell me what exactly it is you think you're doing.'' Punk demanded. ''Did I just watch you give Ryback a WWE title shot, at TLC?''_

_''I did.''_

_Punk rolled his eyes. ''Oh, I did!'' He shared a look with Paul, who was watching on in amusement. ''I did! And you're just going to be flippant about it, right?''_

_''Don't be talking to me that way.''_

_''No, I'll talk to you how I want to talk to you.'' He insisted angrily. ''In case you haven't been paying attention, which evidently, you haven't been; it's CM Punk, two. Ryback, zero. I beat him already!''_

_Sierra stepped forward, crossing her arms over her chest. __''Oh, she's all about giving title shots to the wrong people...''_

_''And on top of that, it's at TLC! Do you have any idea how much danger you're putting me in?''_

_Vickie laughed. ''Danger?''_

_Paul put a calming hand on Punk's before cutting in. ''We understand, I mean, you have this whole AJ scandal on your hands. Maybe, just maybe, you're not thinking with a clear head?''_

_''My head is perfectly clear, Paul.''_

_''No, it's not.'' Punk and Sierra chimed in unison._

_''May I remind you, that you're in MY office-''_

_''Vickie, Vickie, please, listen.'' Paul interrupted gently. ''We get the politics of it. It's actually brilliant of you; you're clearly biased against John Cena, and to cover your tracks, you're biased against CM Punk aswell.''_

_''More so.'' The man mumbled._

_''It's smart! It's-''_

_She quickly cut in. ''I gave Ryback a title match at TLC, because of what happened at Hell in a Cell, with Brad Maddox!''_

_Paul closed his eyes with a sigh as Punk looked at her incredulously. ''I had nothing to do with that!''_

_''And then at Survivor Series, your boys, Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns-''_

_''For the last time, they're not my boys! They're not my guys! I have nothing to do with Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns, alright?!''_

_''Innocent until proven guilty.'' Paul stated, glancing sideways at Sierra._

_''I'm as interested as everybody else is to see what they have to say!''_

_''You're going to do more than watch an interview. Because you're going to be in a match tonight against the winner of the Raw Active poll. It's either going to be Daniel Bryan or Kane.''_

_''No, no, no, no, no. What is wrong with you?'' _

_''Why does HE get a match and I don't?!''_

_''What is wrong with you?'' Punk repeated angrily. ''I am the Champion!''_

_''If you're that eager for a match, Sierra, I could put you in the match with either Daniel Bryan or Kane instead?!''_

_She scoffed. ''At least then I might get an actual challenge!''_

_''Paul, get them out of my office, NOW!''_

* * *

**A/N - Thank you all for your reviews so far, really glad people are liking the story and sticking with it :)**


	47. Chapter 47

**Monday 3rd December**

_ XavierWoodsPhD: In other news KaitlynWWE + Beard = WWERollins _

Alexa chuckled to herself, shoving her phone back in her pocket as she walked through Piedmont Triad International Airport. Her heart was already fluttering in her chest at the thought of seeing Jon, despite it only being a few days since they were last together.

She had flown back to Tampa after Raw the previous week, having made plans to do some training with Sara and the developmental talent. Jon, Joe and Colby had flown back with her, only to leave again a few days later to make appearances at a couple of house shows. Her birthday had passed pretty uneventfully. Jon wasn't around, Chris was over in the UK touring with Fozzy and Jess and the kids had flown out to visit him. So, she had just spent the day relaxing at the beach with Saraya and Shaul.

The guys had arrived in North Carolina the day before and Alexa had caught a flight out that morning, ready for the show that night. Just as she was making her way over to wait for her case a figure stepped into her path and she came to an abrupt halt. She looked up, ready to rip into whoever it was, only to find Jon standing there; a smile curving his lips.

''Miss me?''

''Fuck, yes.''

Before she could speak, his hand slid through her hair and he pulled her to him, his mouth sealing over hers. Standing on the tips of her toes, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him back hungrily. A low growl escaped his lips and he reached down, cupping her ass in his hands and pulling her closer. She let out a soft moan, her fingers shifting up to tangle in his curls when they suddenly heard a pointed cough behind them.

''Guys!'' They both jumped, turning simultaneously to glare at Joe. ''This is an airport, not the set of a porno.''

Alexa was about to respond when another voice carried over to them. ''Jesus Christ, Paris Hilton, what the fuck did you pack in here?''

Her eyes landed on Colby who was carrying her large suitcase over, almost toppling over it in the process.

* * *

**RAW**

_Raw had just cut from The Shield attacking Randy Orton in the ring following his match with Brad Maddox; the screen showing a smiling Sierra walking into Vickie's office._

_''You wanted to see me, boss?'' _

_The older woman turned around and stormed over to her. ''Yes! Who do you think you are? Last week, you were specifically told you didn't have a match, we had Alicia Fox face Tamina instead. And what did you do? You interfere and attack both women, making the referee declare the match a no contest. Then, tonight, when Tamina faced AJ Lee, you do the same!''_

_''What's your point, Vickie?'' She drawled, bringing a hand up in front of her face to examine her nails. _

_''My point, is that if you carry on like this, then there's going to be some serious repercussions.''_

_Sierra gasped and her eyes widened dramatically. ''Like what?''_

_''Well, you-''_

_''Oh, wait.'' She held up a finger, cutting the woman off. ''I__ just realized. I don't care. I'm sick of you and your little power trip, I'm sick of the fickle WWE Universe and I am sick to death of being underappreciated! The Diva's division is a joke, yet I'm constantly being overlooked in favour of them. It's an injustice! I am one of the best female wrestlers in the world and I am going to destroy all the other Divas... Sooner or later, you're all going to be kissing the ground I walk on.'' _

_Vickie's eyes narrowed suspiciously. ''Did you just say...'' She trailed off, her eyes flicking over the other woman's shoulder. ''Paul.''_

_Sierra swallowed heavily, taking a step back so she was standing by the man's side. His hand came up to rest on her shoulder as he leaned in, whispering something in her ear which made a smirk appear on her face._

_Vickie rolled her eyes, glancing over at Paul with a sour look. ''For your sake, you better hope that Punk is telling the truth.''_

_''Oh he is, no doubt about it, Vickie. The lie detector test later tonight will put to rest all these accusations, once and for all.''_

* * *

_''Welcome to Miz TV, Punk... let Mr. Abrahams strap you in!''_

_CM Punk scowled as he let the man strap him in for the lie detector test, Paul Heyman and Sierra watching on intently from behind him._

_''See, the lie detector test is simple by nature, really. It measures deception through several psychological indicators, such as-''_

_Punk leaned over and grabbed a microphone from the table. ''Miz, Miz... I know what a lie detector test is, I know how it works. The only thing simple around here is your jokes.'' His gaze dropped down to the man who was securing the straps around his chest. ''Why don't you strap me up and ask me if I think it's stupid that his microphone's upside down? Go ahead, ask me if I'm lying. Yeah, your sophomoric attempts to disparage my character, Miz, you know, have kind of shocked me. You're just like everybody else here. Why don't you suck up to them a little bit more, huh?'' He turned to face the audience mockingly. ''Why don't you cheer for The Miz a little bit more, you people should be embarrassed of yourselves.''_

_The Miz shot him a smug grin when the crowd began to cheer loudly._

_''You, just like them, see my success and you wear your envy worse than that two-for-one, Men's Warehouse job you got on right now. And, it's okay, I understand. Your title reign was completely forgettable.'' He took a seat at the table opposite Mr. Abrahams. ''So, you're just trying to bring me down to your level. I get that, Miz. You see three hundred and seventy-nine days, you see that success and you wish you could be me. Just like everybody in Greensboro and everybody around the world.'' He looked down at his hands with a scowl, the man clipping monitoring devices to his fingers. ''What are you doing? What is this? This is ridiculous, look at this! Do you have a licence?''_

_''I'm sorry, I didn't hear a word you were saying. I wasn't paying attention, I apologize.'' The Miz smirked down at him._

_''Yeah, you didn't pay attention in wrestling school either, jerk!''_

_''No, I was pretty good in wrestling school, actually.''_

_''Yeah? Go ahead, go ahead, ask me, am I lying? The Miz sucks! Am I lying? Ask me!''_

_''He doesn't.'' Miz fired back. ''But your Mom does! Oooooooooh!''_

_The crowd laughed and CM Punk's angry rant was cut off before it even began, with Sierra snatching the microphone from his grasp._

_''That's so incredibly original. Where do you come up with these stingers, Miz? Do you own some kind of joke factory in Indonesia where you've got eight-year-olds working ninety hours a week to deliver you that kind of top quality witticism? There are boy bands with more original material!''_

_The Miz's eyebrows shot up in surprise. ''Well, y__ou've got quite the mouth on you... someone should show you how to use it.''_

_Sierra's mouth dropped open in shock as the crowd let out a unanimous 'oooh' at the man's comment; Punk grabbing the microphone back from her and exclaiming angrily. ''How dare you?''_

_''Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down, Punk! Now, let's get this started. First of all, we need to get a baseline from you. What that means is that we'll ask you questions that we all know the answers to. Now, remember, if you are caught lying; Paul Heyman, next week will have to have a match against Ryback! And, as per request of Vickie Guerrero, Sierra will also be taking part in that match, as Paul's tag-team partner!''_

_The announcement was met with shock from both the audience and the trio inside the ring._

_''Well, you have been complaining about your lack of in-ring action!'' The Miz replied to her questioning cries. ''Alright! First question; what's your name?''_

_''CM Punk.'' _

_He asked several more basic questions, Punk responding in a monotone each time as the test scrolled up on the big screen._

_''Do you think you can beat Ryback by yourself?''_

_Sierra crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at Paul; who bowed his head, cradling the WWE Championship in his arms as Punk laughed derisively. _

_''Yes!''_

_The official pointed over at the screen which was showing a large spike in the test results._

_''What are you pointing at?'' Punk asked, spinning around in his chair. ''What? I didn't even know that was there! That doesn't mean anything!''_

_''Actually, it does. Mr. Abrahams said you could be lying.''_

_Punk scoffed. ''How could I be lying? It's an opinion, you idiot!''_

_''You're right, it is an opinion. Why don't we get something more concrete? Did you work with Brad Maddox at Hell in a Cell? Did you work with The Shield to win at Survivor Series? Did you?! Answer it!''_

_Punk's mouth formed a tight line as he glanced around at the crowd, the majority of them having just broken out into a 'YES! YES! YES!' chant. Just as he raised the microphone to his lips to answer the question, Seth Rollins appeared out of nowhere; grabbing onto The Miz's feet and yanking him out of the ring._

_''Hey, wait, it's The Shield!'' Michael cried from ringside. _

_CM Punk, Paul Heyman and Sierra quickly ducked out of the ring as Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose entered, the pair wasting no time in tearing the MizTV set apart._

_Seth continued his beat down of The Miz before lifting him up and rolling him back into the ring. _

_''Was there injustice here tonight?'' Michael asked._

_''The only injustice I'm seeing is what we're seeing right now.'' King responded, watching as The Shield hoisted the man up and laid him out with the three-man powerbomb. _

_''First Team Hell No, then Randy Orton, now The Miz! The Shield running-''_

_''Hey, hey, look!''_

_The crowd let out a roaring cheer as Kane and Daniel Bryan ran down the ramp; both men sliding into the ring and immediately going at it with The Shield. _

_''Team Hell No, looking for payback from earlier tonight!''_

_Roman and Daniel brawled into the corner while Dean and Seth double-teamed Kane; the three men easily gaining the upper-hand._

_''This is where The Shield is so dangerous, the pack of wolves mentality!''_

_**FEED ME MORE!**_

_Ryback made his way to the ring; easily cleaning house of The Shield. The big man dumped Dean over the top rope before dropping down and rolling out of the ring after him. The pair ended up brawling through the crowd while Kane and Daniel took on Roman and Seth just outside the ring._

_With The Miz still laid out in the ring, Punk climbed inside and made his way over to him. He delivered a few stomps to the man's gut before kicking him under the bottom rope; the man landing in a heap outside the ring. His music hit and he climbed the turnbuckle to taunt the crowd with his celebration; Sierra and Paul watching on from outside._

_''MizTv destroyed by The Shield and CM Punk never had the opportunity to answer that all-important question; Maddox and Shield, are they working with Punk?''_

_''I think the actions here were the answer.'' King commented._

_Punk jumped down from the turnbuckle, turning around to come face-to-face with Ryback, who had appeared out of nowhere._

_''Oh my God!'' King cried. ''Look who's in the ring!''_

_After hitting Punk with the Shell Shocked, Ryback made his way outside and grabbed a table from underneath the ring. Sierra held her head in her hands, watching on helplessly with Paul as Punk was powerbombed through the table._

* * *

''So, did you have a good birthday?''

''It was all right.'' Alexa replied with a shrug as she followed Paul and Phil backstage; the younger man having just been 'carried' out of the ring by several medical staff. ''What time's your surgery tomorrow?''

''Early. Like, nine, or something.''

''Red-eye?'' She smirked at the man's groaned response. ''Well, if you hadn't been such a stubborn fucker and insisted on toughing it out...''

''I'm the WWE Champion.'' He shrugged, giving her a sideways glance. ''It's what's expected.''

''I don't care, I still think you're an idiot working on a bum knee.''

Paul let out a soft snort from behind them, making the pair turn around to face him. ''Sorry Phil, but I have to agree with Miss. Torres.''

Alexa stepped back and slung an arm over his shoulder and sticking her tongue out at Phil. ''See? Even Paul thinks you're an idiot.''

Phil lifted an eyebrow, shaking his head at the two shit-eating grins being sent his way. ''I don't think I like you two working together... always ganging up on me.''

''What can I say? She's a wise young lady.''

''Lady?'' Phil scoffed.

Her mouth dropped open and she glanced at Paul. ''Are you really going to let a 'Paul Heyman Guy' get away with talking to me like that?''

''Well, he has got a point... you have the mouth of a truck driver, not very lady like.''


	48. Chapter 48

**Tuesday 4th December**

''The camera's shaking.''

''Well, you try to hold it then! It's really hard trying to get us all in the shot!''

''It's not that difficult, Lopez.''

''Well, you fucking try, then!''

Alexa rolled her eyes as she watched the three men bicker in front of her as they tried to pre-record their segment for the show. They were at the Coliseum in North Charleston, South Carolina for the Smackdown taping; which would be taking place in a few hours.

''Are they always like this?''

She turned to shoot an amused smile at Paul Levesque, who was overseeing the promo. ''Pretty much.''

They eventually worked out how to fit them all in the shot and keep the camera steady; Alexa, Paul and the small group of writers watching the monitor as they started recording.

* * *

_''I'm Seth Rollins.''_

_''Roman Reigns.''_

_''I'm Dean Ambrose...What do we know about injustice?''_

_''We don't just know injustice!''_

_''We've lived it.''_

_''Last Monday, CM Punk, Champion for over a year, was disrespected with a lie detector test... by the Miz. Well, welcome to consequences, Miz!''_

_''Randy Orton! You took advantage of a young, defenseless Brad Maddox. Well, welcome to payback, Randy!''_

_''We shield the WWE from injustice.''_

_''Team Hell No?''_

_''Nobody says 'no' to The Shield.''_

_''Ryback! You've been handed success on a silver platter. You've been handed fame and fortune, you've been put on a pedestal! Well, we knocked you off that pedestal! We stopped you, cold. Welcome back to reality, Ryback!''_

_''We don't work for anybody! Not Paul Heyman, not the WWE Champion. We work for each other.''_

_''I'm Dean Ambrose.''_

_''I'm Seth Rollins.''_

_''I'm Roman Reigns... Welcome to The Shield of justice.''_

_''At the TLC pay-per-view; bring tables, bring ladders, bring chairs! The Shield brings the sword.''_

* * *

Alexa sat in a secluded corner of the catering room, scrolling through her phone as she picked at her salad.

After watching the three men filming their promo, she had left them to go over the plans for the rest of the show with Paul. She didn't have anything to do in the show that night, she had just decided to tag along with the guys for an extra day before flying back home.

She glanced up when a lone figure suddenly loomed over her table, her eyebrows raising in surprise when she found Randy standing there. ''Uh... hey.''

''Hey.'' He gave her a tight smile, gesturing to the empty seat opposite her. ''Can I?''

''Sure.''

Randy slid into the chair, shifting it forward so he could lean his elbows on the table. ''I know it's been a while, you know, since we talked...''

Alexa nodded, chewing her lip. The last time they had spoke had been back in May, when she had finally come clean about everything. ''Yeah.''

''I was going to come and speak to you after I got back from my suspension, but my therapist said I should wait a while.''

''Therpaist?''

''Vince made me get one, part of the conditions of me coming back. I, uh, I've had a lot of time to think about everything and I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for reacting the way I did when you told me. It's no excuse, but I was high as a fucking kite at the time... and I was pissed that you'd kept it from me for so long. But, honestly, I don't blame you for not wanting to tell me, especially after what I did. I just... I'm sorry. For everything I put you through, for the way I've acted since you came back, all of it. I'm sorry.''

She glanced up, letting out a heavy sigh as her violet eyes darted between his blue ones. ''It's okay.''

''Yeah?'' He asked dubiously.

''Look, I think we can both admit we fucked up. One of us, on an epic scale.'' She shot him a small smirk before continuing. ''What's that saying, that you need to forgive and forget? It's pretty good advice, but not very practical. You really hurt me, Randy... and all I've wanted, for the longest time, is to hurt you back.''

Randy nodded, a solemn expression appearing on his face. ''I don't blame you. What I did, it _was_ unforgivable, but I don't regret it. It gave me my daughter... the only thing I would go back and change would be the way I treated you.''

''I've always wondered, why did you do it?'' She asked softly, her curiousity getting the bestter of her. ''Was I not enough for you?''

''That's not it all all.'' He said quickly. ''I was only with Sam the one time while me and you were together. I was out with the guys, completely off my face and I don't know, it just happened. When I woke up the next day I felt like shit, told her it was a mistake and that was that. I was going to tell you, but I guess I was scared.''

''Of what?''

''Losing you. I mean, you'd already stuck by me, with my drug problems and everything... I knew that would be the last straw. So, I kept quiet. Then, a few months later, I got a phone call from Sam and she told me she was pregnant. I ended up confiding in John, he told me that I needed to man-up and come clean.''

''He was right, you should have.''

''I know.'' He replied. ''But, it's all in the past. I can't change anything, all I can do is apologize.''

''You're right.'' She admitted softly. ''What's done is done, there's nothing we can do about it. I've finally moved on, I'm happy... and to be honest with you, I think I let it go a long time ago but I was just too stubborn to see it. I'm not excusing any of the things you've done, but I forgive you, Randy.''

''I-'' He swallowed hard and averted his gaze. ''Thank you.''

''I'm not saying we're going to be friends or anything, but I can't spend the rest of my life holding onto all this anger and hatred.''

''I get it.'' He said, clearing his throat as he met her eyes once more. ''I'm, uh... I'm really glad everything worked out for you, Lex. You deserve to be happy.''

She smiled across at him. ''You know, I think this is the first civil conversation we've had in years.''

''Yeah, I think it is.'' His gaze moved to focus on something over her shoulder and he shifted uncomfortably before rising. ''I'll, uh, leave you to your lunch. I guess I'll see you around?''

''Bye, Randy.''

A few seconds later, the chair beside her was pulled back and Jon dropped into it with a grunt, glaring at the man who was walking across the room. ''What did he want?''

She shrugged. ''Nothing much.''

''Well, he must have wanted something.'' He insisted, his tone giving away his annoyance. ''Was he bothering you again?''

''No, no, he wasn't. We just talked, that's all.''

His jaw tightened. ''What did he say?''

After giving him a brief rundown of their conversation, she cocked an eyebrow at the expression on his face. ''What's that look for?''

''I know you're not that naïve, Lex.'' He raised an eyebrow back at her. ''He's just manipulating you into feeling sorry for him, it's all a bunch of crap.''

''Yeah, maybe...''

He sighed before shaking his head. ''He's just split up with his wife and now he's sniffing around you, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what he's after.''

She frowned, he hadn't mentioned that to her. ''Well, even if that were true, do you honestly think so little of me that I'd actually fall for it? Or so little of yourself that I'd actually do that to you?''

''Well...'' He trailed off, not meeting her gaze.

His silence spoke volumes.

Alexa let of a snort of disbelief before rising angrily, the chair scraping harshly along the floor as she got to her feet. ''I'm heading back to the hotel.''

His hand quickly darted out to latch on her wrist before she could take a step. ''Lex, come on-''

''No, Jon.'' She pulled her arm from his loose grasp. ''This trust thing works both ways, maybe you should think about that.''

He ran a hand through his hair as he watched her walk away, mumbling to himself. ''Shit...''

* * *

''I think you need to apologize.''

Jon scowled over at Joe as they walked through the lobby towards the elevator. ''Yeah, bro, I know that.''

''You should get some flowers.'' Colby piped up from behind them. ''Chicks like flowers.''

They had just arrived back at the hotel from the Smackdown taping and, after hearing Jon relay what had happened, the pair were both quick to offer up some advice.

''And chocolates.'' Joe added. ''Don't forget the chocolates.''

Jon rolled his eyes but nodded, falling back and jabbing a finger behind him. ''I think I saw a shop on the way in.''

''Good luck.''

''Yeah, we'll see you tomorrow.''

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Jon slid the key in the door and walked inside the hotel room; a frown forming on his lips at the silence that greeted him. The door closed with a click behind him and he shuffled further into the room, eyes moving over to the bathroom where he could see light coming from under the door.

He walked over and knocked softly on the wood. ''Lex?''

''Yeah?''

''Can I come in?''

''Sure.''

He pushed open the door and stepped inside, finding Alexa sitting in the huge tub filled with hot water and bubbles. Her eyes immediately went to the bunch of flowers that he was holding and she cocked an eyebrow. ''Aren't there supposed to be chocolates too?''

Shooting her a sheepish smile; he reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling out a packet of Oreos. ''I thought you'd appreciate these more.''

She smiled. ''You know me too well.''

''I do, which is why I know was out-of-line to insinuate what I did earlier.'' He deposited the items beside the sink before moving across the room and taking a seat behind her on the edge of the tub; his hands lifting to knead the tender flesh of her shoulders. ''I'm sorry for being a tool.''

''You were a tool.'' She murmured. ''Of epic proportions.''

''I know.'' He agreed softly, his fingers continuing their work.

''After everything Randy put me through, do you honestly think I'd even consider going there again?'' She asked, turning her head to glance at him. ''Are you… are you worried? That I'm going to leave you or something?''

''I- I don't know... maybe...'' Jon paused, looking down at her earnestly. ''I can't stand the thought of losing you.''

Alexa bit the inside of her lip, not used to him being so forthcoming with his emotions. Since they had said those three little words to each other, he had been rather reserved in repeating them. She knew he had a rough childhood and would bet money on the assumption that his parents never really told him they loved him.

The few times she had said it again, he just flashed her one of his knee-weakening grins before kissing her. But, she didn't care; he constantly showed her how he felt, even if he didn't say it.

''I'm not going anywhere.'' She promised, turning around to face him. ''I don't know when you're going to get it into your head that I love you. I don't_ want _anyone else, just you.''

''Why?''

Alexa let out a quiet snort, assuming he was fishing for compliments and a quick ego boost. She frowned when he averted his eyes to avoid her gaze; the woman realizing that he genuinely couldn't understand why she loved him.

''Honestly? I don't know... I love you... because you fixed me, without even realizing it. On my worst days, when all I wanted to do was give up on everything, you were there, cheering me on. I love that you won't take any of my bullshit, and you put up with my weird quirks. I love that you put everything you have into everything you do, and the way your face lights up like a four-year old on Christmas morning when you tell me stories from the road. You just... you make everything better. I knew the moment I met you there was something about you that I needed. Turns out, it wasn't something about you at all. It was just you.''

Jon was positive that if he was of a weaker disposition, he would have started crying. Instead, he leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her lips, before mumbling. ''I love you.''

''I know.'' She smiled up at him, biting her lip before grinning and suddenly sliding backwards; yanking him into the water with her.

He landed with a splash, spluttering curses as he emerged covered in bubbles.

Alexa laughed, reaching a hand over to swipe his hair out of his eyes. ''Man, I wish I had a camera...''

Jon just rolled his eyes, his retort cut short when she covered his lips with hers for another lingering kiss.

''Where are you going?'' She asked, watching as he climbed out of the tub.

''I'm going to get out of these wet clothes.'' He informed her, already starting to peel his shirt off. ''Then, I'm going to go and lay on the bed, naked, and wait for you.''

''You know, you can't just buy me flowers and expect sex.''

He smirked. ''That's why all men buy flowers... to get sex. I could just give you the fifteen bucks, but then you'd be offended.''

She sunk back into the water with a groan. ''You're such an ass.''


	49. Chapter 49

**Friday 7th December**

''Happy Birthday! Now, come on, blow!''

''Nah, I don't really feel like doing that...''

''Yeah, welcome to our world.''

Alexa's comment was met by a chorus of laughter from the women in the room, her boyfriend raising an eyebrow in amusement.

It was Jon's birthday and with the help of his room-mate, Bill 'Colin Cassady' Morrissey, she had arranged a small get-together at his place. They had invited just a few people from the FCW roster and a couple of his friends from his time in the indies. Sami had travelled down with Drake Weutz, both men had a show in New Jersey so were planning on leaving early the following day. She had also managed to arrange for his best friend, Brian Jennings, to come down and surprise him. The pair hadn't seen much of each other since Jon relocated down to Tampa, so it was nice for them to be able to catch up.

''Come on.'' Alexa thrust the huge cake towards him, the candles illuminating the room. ''My arms are starting to ache.''

Jon rolled his eyes good-naturedly, everyone cheering as he blew out the candles. The music was turned back on and he followed her into the kitchen, watching intently as she placed it on the counter.

He bent his head down and kissed her quickly. ''You're pretty awesome, you know that?''

''I know.'' She smirked before grabbing the back of his head and pulling him down for a passionate kiss.

Wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her tightly, he teased her lips open with his tongue. She grabbed the front of his shirt in her hands and a low groan escaped him when her nails grazed his chest.

Colby rolled his eyes as he stepped into the kitchen, his eyes falling on the pair. ''Jesus Christ, man, put her down! There's time for that later, come and enjoy your party!''

* * *

''Did he ever tell you about the time he ripped his nipple off?''

''No.'' Alexa's eyebrows shot up as she glanced between Jon, Brian, Drake and Sami.

''Yeah, he was in a match against Jimmy Jacobs and he hit a tope on Jon. He hit the guard rail and it sliced right in his chest. When he got backstage, his nipple was basically just hanging there.''

Jon grinned, his hand coming up to cover said nipple. ''I stitched it back on myself.''

She grimaced. ''Lovely...''

''Hey, Sami?'' He smirked across at the other man. ''Tell her about that time you had an 'accident' during our match.''

''You're a dick.'' He scowled, delivering a swift kick to the birthday boy's shin. ''I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to hear anything about me shitting myself.''

''Alright, what about when you-''

Alexa quickly slapped her hand across his mouth. ''Be nice, or I'll tell them all about how you like to be the little spoon... oh, oops...''

Jon narrowed his eyes at her as the three men roared with laughter; Drake slinging an arm across the back of the chair and grinning at his friend. ''I _like_ her.''

''Of course you do.'' He muttered, tilting his head towards her. ''Hey, sweetheart, did you make that cake for me?''

''No... why?''

He smirked. ''Remember when you tried to make one for Saraya's birthday?''

''Shut up!'' She hissed, her face flushing crimson.

Ignoring her, her turned to his friends with a chuckle. ''So, she made this chocolate cake, right? It was all good, came out looking pretty fucking nice so she went to grab her phone to take a photo. Only, she couldn't find her phone.''

''Oh no...'' Brian's lips twitched into a smile, guessing where this was going.

''So, I call it from mine and we follow the sound of the ringtone to the kitchen, where it was coming from inside the cake. Somehow, she had dropped the phone into the mix and baked it with the cake.''

The trio let out another roar of laughter as Alexa scowled, crossing her arms over her chest as she glanced at her boyfriend. ''I hate you.''

* * *

Alexa held her second— _okay_, third—slice of pizza to her mouth and took a bite, casually bopping her head to the music serenading the remaining party guests. Turning away from Colby and the rest of the FCW crew doing the Limbo, she spotted Brian standing by the kitchen island, watching on with an amused expression.

She grinned and made her way over to him, taking another bite before speaking. ''Where's Jon? Did he hurt his back attempting to limbo?''

Brian smirked, taking a swig of his beer. ''He went to say goodbye to Sami and Drake, they're heading out now.''

She looked up at him eagerly, dumping her pizza on the worktop. ''This is perfect, now you can tell me more embarrassing stories about him.''

''I think he'd kill me if I told you anything else...'' He chuckled before turning to her with a serious expression. ''So, how long have you two been dating now?''

''Officially, around nine months... I think.''

''What do you mean, 'officially'?''

''Jon didn't tell you?'' Her eyebrows lifted in surprise when the man shook his head. ''Uh, we were kind of hooking up for a while before we actually got together.''

''So, how long _unofficially_?''

Shrugging, she replied. ''About a year and a half.''

He let out a low whistle, his gaze thoughtful. ''Come to think of it, whenever he called me, he used to talk about you a lot.''

''Really? What-''

''Come on, Lex.'' Jon drawled, striding over to the pair and picking up the half-eaten pizza that she had left laying on the counter. ''I love you and everything, but what are you, an animal? Use a plate.''

With a grumble, he walked off, dropping the pizza in the bin as he passed it.

Apropos of nothing, Brian spoke. ''You've done wonders for him, you know? In all the time I've known him, I've never seen him this way. You know his story; he had a shitty time of it growing up and never really let anyone get that close to him. He has a hard time telling people how he feels.''

Alexa shot him a questioning look, replying dubiously. ''Most of the time, he's pretty outspoken. I actually find it difficult to make him _stop_ giving me his unsolicited opinion on things.''

The corner of his mouth turned upward, but he shook his head. ''Not when it's important. He sometimes... it takes a lot for him to let people in, you know? It's like he's scared, so he says things by not actually saying them.''

She nodded, biting her lip. ''Yeah, I get that.''

''Things between the two of you might have started out slightly unconventionally, but I see the way he looks at you... like you're the only person in the room, while at the same time he's terrified he's going to fuck it up.''

''He's not going to fuck it up.'' She met his eyes with a smile. ''I won't let him.''


	50. Chapter 50

**Monday 7th January**

_ CelesteBonin: I finally downloaded an emoji app. I hate myself. Why isn't there a unicorn? There's no emoji to express what I'm feeling._

_** RealSierra: There is this one though **__**(turd).**_

_ CelesteBonin: Good one. Hope you're really proud of yourself._

_** RealSierra: I believe the phrase you're looking for is, 'thank you.'**_

Alexa turned her phone off, looking up as she meandered through the hallways of the Tampa Bay Times Forum. It was a big night for her; she would be teaming with none other than Paul Heyman, to face Ryan 'Ryback' Reeves. As he was still recovering from his surgery, Punk was going to be deemed 'unfit' to compete and the duo would be taking his place; defending his title for him.

To say she had been shocked when she saw the script would be a huge understatement; she had to go over it several times to make sure that she had read it right. The angle they were doing with Sierra, Punk, Heyman and The Shield was getting good reactions from the fans, but to put her in a high-profile match like that was almost unheard of.

And although she was pleased to be included in the storyline, she was starting to get frustrated with the lack of in-ring time she was getting. She hadn't wrestled a match since she lost her title at Hell in a Cell, which was way back in October.

Celeste was booked to win the Diva's Championship from Eve the following week, with the match being the latter's last with the company. Alexa knew that there were tentative plans in place to have an A.J/Kaitlyn feud after her title win, which meant that she wouldn't be getting in the title picture any time soon.

But, as a Diva, she knew she was extremely lucky to be where she was so she kept her thoughts to herself.

''Yo, shorty!''

Alexa waved at Ettore as he passed her, the man jogging towards the catering area, presumably in search of April and Nick. The big man had made his main roster debut a few weeks earlier; quickly aligning himself with AJ and Dolph and acting as their enforcer. He had been down in developmental since 2009, so she was really pleased he had finally got the call up.

''About damn time.''

She glanced up as she entered the make-shift locker room where they would be pre-recording a promo. ''Sorry, make-up took longer than normal, I've got a huge zit on my forehead.''

Phil snorted, eyes immediately going to her forehead. ''Lovely.''

''Don't look!''

''Well, you can't say that and expect me _not _to.''

''You can't see it anyway, they've covered it up really well.'' Paul piped up from behind him.

''Yeah, I guess it's better to arrive late than arrive ugly.'' He teased.

''Phil!''

''Leave the poor girl alone, Philip.''

''Right!'' Chris, the director, clapped his hands together loudly. ''Everyone ready?''

* * *

**RAW**

_Sierra ran a hand through her hair, agitation clear on her face as she paced around the locker room. ''This is all your fault!''_

_''My fault? Tell me princess, how is it my fault?'' Paul Heyman asked smugly, stepping into her path. ''If I recall correctly, you're the one who started thing whole thing. YOU came to me, remember?''_

_''Yeah, I do remember.'' She hissed, coming to a halt in front of him and jabbing a finger at his chest. ''Someone had to step in and fix the mess you created.''_

_''What mess? I had it all under control until! I find it extremely offensive that-''_

_''You know what I find offensive? Your hairline!''_

_''ENOUGH!'' CM Punk bellowed as he walked into the room, slamming the door behind him. ''I can't leave you two alone for a minute, can I?''_

_Sierra glanced sideways at Paul before returning her gaze to the Chicagoan. ''Any luck with Vickie?''_

_''No.'' He huffed angrily. ''She said that it was Vince's decision so it's set in stone.''_

_Last week on Raw, Vince had announced that if WWE officials deemed Punk unfit to compete; Sierra and Paul would be facing Ryback in his place._

_She threw her hands up. ''How can they even justify this, it's ridiculous! Neither of us are the WWE Champion so surely it's, like, against the rules for us to be defending it?!''_

_''I'm not even a wrestler!''_

_Sierra snorted, her eyes roaming him. ''That's pretty obvious, Paulie. Hey, maybe you can sit on Ryback while I climb the ladder to get Punk's belt?''_

_''How dare-''_

_''Will you stop it! Jesus...''_

_''Sorry. Look, stop worrying, it's all going to be fine.''_

_''Fine?'' He laughed in her face. ''I'm going to lose my title and there's nothing I can do about it because they've banned me from ringside!''_

_''You're not going to lose your title, okay?'' She told him firmly. ''Me and Paul will think of something.''_

* * *

_''The following is a handicap match for the WWE Championship! Making their way to the ring first, in place of CM Punk, the team of Paul Heyman and Sierra!''_

_The pair had matching solemn looks on their faces as they made their way down to the ring, a chorus of heavy boos following them. _

_''As we heard from Mr. McMahon last week; if Punk was unable to compete tonight then Sierra and Paul Heyman would be defending his title in his place.'' Michael Cole informed the audience at home. ''Punk was deemed unfit and now he faces losing his title, right here tonight.''_

_''And there's absolutely nothing he can do about it.'' King laughed. ''I think this is karma, Michael.''_

_''Well, karma or not, it's not really fair.''_

_''Like it was fair for Brad Maddox or The Shield to cheat Ryback out of the Championship?'' King retorted._

_**FEED ME MORE!**_

_Ryback appeared at the top of the ramp to a huge pop from the crowd, the man storming his way down the ramp. Paul and Sierra backed into the corner as he entered the ring, the man cupping his hand over his mouth as he spoke into her ear._

_''Looks like they're talking strategy.'' Michael commented as he watched the pair._

_As soon as the bell sounded to signal the start of the match, Ryback advanced on his opponents with a smirk. Paul's eyes widened and he quickly ducked behind Sierra, shoving her forward as he cowered behind her._

_''Oh, that's nice, great team work by Heyman.'' King snorted._

_Ryback laughed inside the ring as Sierra turned her head to hit the older man with an incredulous look._

_Paul just shrugged, pointing behind her. ''Get him!''_

_Rolling her eyes, she turned to face Ryback, staring up at him defiantly. _

_''What are you going to do, little girl? Huh, you-''_

_His goading was cut short when she moved forward, slapping him in the face. A loud 'ooooh' swept through the crowd. Ryback pressed his thumb to his lip, checking for any blood before he raised an eyebrow at her, letting out a gruff chuckle. Scowling, she reached out to slap him again but, this time, he caught her hand. _

_''Uh-oh...'' King mumbled._

_Her face contorted in panic as she desperately tried to free herself but, before he could do anything, a steel chair was slammed into his back. _

_''And Paul Heyman, making himself useful for once!''_

_Sierra smirked as he dropped to his knees, face screwed up in pain as Paul landed another hit to his back. She climbed out of the ring, moving over to grab a ladder as Paul continued his assault on the big man. _

_''Not a bad strategy.'' Michael admitted. ''One of them keeps Ryback down while the other goes for the belt.''_

_Sierra set up the ladder in the middle of the ring, making sure it was stable before starting to climb. She was almost to the top when the crowd's boos suddenly turned into raucous cheers. Faltering, she turned her head to the left to find Ryback staring up at her. He had managed to fend of Paul's attacks and threw him over the top rope, leaving him in an undignified heap outside the ring._

_''Get down!'' He demanded._

_Her hands clung onto the rungs as she looked down at him defiantly. ''No!'' _

_The cheers grew louder as he moved towards her and she swung her leg wildly, trying to keep him away. Her foot connected with his shoulder and he stumbled back, giving Sierra enough time to re-position herself on the ladder._

_''What is she doing?'' King wondered._

_''I don't know, but it can't be- oh my God!''_

_Sierra had used his momentary distraction to jump off the ladder towards Ryback; intending to hit a crossbody. But she hadn't taken into account his brute strength, the man effortlessly catching her in his arms._

_''Ha! Nice catch, Ryback!''_

_Her legs flailed and her arms pounded on his back as she was carried over to the edge of the ring; Ryback throwing her over the top rope and into Paul, who had just got to his feet. _

_The pair landed in a tangle of limbs, the crowd roaring as Ryback started to ascend the ladder that Sierra had set up._

_''And Ryback's going for it!''_

_''We may have a new Champion!''_

_He had reached the top of the ladder, his fingertips skimming the belt hanging above the ring when the lights suddenly went out._

_''Wait a minute... what?''_

_''What happened to the lights?'' Michael cried. ''We can't see anything out here... hey, it's The Shield!''_

_As soon as the lights had come back on, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose were revealed at the top of the ladder, fighting Ryback._

_''What!''_

_''From out of nowhere, Ambrose and Rollins!''_

_Ryback managed to fight them off, sending both men flying off the ladder, landing on the mat with a thud. He stretched again, trying to grab the belt before the pair rose, but was suddenly yanked down from the ladder._

_''And look at that, Roman Reigns!''_

_The Samoan was quickly sent over the top rope, and was joined shortly after by the other two Shield members. He started to climb the metal frame again, much to the delight of the crowd. _

_''Ryback's going to do it!'' Michael shouted. ''Ryback's going to do it!''_

_His momentum was brought to a shuddering halt when Sierra stumbled into the ring, grabbed the discarded chair and swung it as hard as she could into his back. He dropped down to the canvas, knocking the ladder over as he fell. _

_The Shield were on the man before he could get up, stomping away at him as Sierra collapsed in the corner; grimacing as she held the side of her face in her hand._

_''And The Shield, like a pack of dogs... it's all legal, no disqualification's in a TLC match!''_

_Sierra remained where she was, watching intently as the three men manhandled Ryback, forcing him outside the ring and dragging him over to a table which had been set up over the steel steps. _

_''Oh my God!''_

_They crowd booed as Ryback was finally subdued by a triple powerbomb through the table, the man hitting the steel underneath. _

_The three men stood over him, proudly studying their handiwork before their gazes moved to Sierra, who was trying to get to her feet inside the ring. They shared a look before stepping around their destruction and sliding into the ring, slowly moving towards the woman._

_''Now what are they doing?'' King wondered._

_Seth and Dean picked up the fallen ladder; setting it back up in the centre of the ring as Roman moved over to the woman in the corner. She stiffened as he approached, confusion written all over her face as he held out a hand, palm up in front of her._

_''Is he... is he helping her?'' Michael cried incredulously._

_Sierra eyed him warily for several seconds before hesitantly placing her hand in his, allowing him to help her to her feet. He gave her a curt nod before joining the other two men on the other side of the ring; the three watching on intently as she walked towards the ladder. _

_''Sierra looking to take home to gold for Punk!''_

_Paul rolled into the ring as she started to climb up the rungs; moving over to hold the ladder steady as The Shield made a hasty exit up the ramp._

_''You're going to tell me there's no collusion?''_

_''No, I'm not going to say that.'' King denied._

_''You're going to tell me that Punk has nothing to do with these three guys?!''_

_Sierra unclasped the belt and took it into her arms, the bell sounding as she descended down the ladder._

_''And, winner of the match, the team of Paul Heyman and Sierra! As a result, still WWE Champion... CM Punk!''_

_''Sierra, along with Paul Heyman-''_

_King scoffed. ''Does he even count?!''_

_''Sierra defending the WWE Championship!'' Michael exclaimed. ''Making history here tonight.''_

_''And here comes Punk...''_

_The crowd jeered as the man jogged down the ramp with a smirk on his face, sliding into the ring to pull the pair into a group hug. They broke apart, Punk planting a sloppy kiss on Sierra's lips before taking the belt out of her arms and holding it up triumphantly._

* * *

As soon as they were behind the curtain, Paul glanced over to Alexa with a look of concern. ''You alright?''

She nodded, gingerly brushing her fingers over her throbbing cheekbone. ''Yeah.''

''That looks sore.'' Phil frowned. ''What happened?''

''I think my face hit Paul's elbow when I landed on him.''

''Sorry.'' The New Yorker looked at her apologetically. ''You should go put some ice on it.''

''It's fine.''

''It's already starting to bruise.'' Phil informed her, raising an eyebrow. ''You wouldn't want to fuck up the money maker.''

''Urgh, fine.''

* * *

_''The time has come to tell you all something very personal. I keep my ear to the ground and I hear everything everybody says. And for the past year and a half, the words 'pipe bomb' have been completely misunderstood and misused. It doesn't seem anybody in the Universe understands what it means; anybody in this company doesn't understand what a pipe bomb is. Basically, what a pipe bomb is in its truest form, is the truth. It's honesty. You boil it down and then the essence of a pipe bomb is exactly what all of you lack, honesty. Seems the perception of me is somebody who is a little disgruntled and sat down on a stage in Las Vegas and aired his grievances and said 'pipe bomb'. I became the voice of the voiceless. And then maybe my ego was like a runaway train and I suddenly bitched and moaned and complained about respect and how I didn't get enough of it. And then I turned my back on the people. Well, that's a lie. Don't be mistaken. I meant everything I said when I said it. Except the part about ice cream... 'cause I look out here and the last thing any of you people need is more bars of ice cream. But I was shortchanged and I was disrespected, and sure, I could have just swallowed that bitter pill and accepted my position in the company like everybody else in the back, or I could have left. Instead I made a conscious decision and I sold out. To you. To you I sold out, to me I cashed in. See, I created this persona, this rebel, this anti hero that you all love to cheer for because I knew that you all love to cheer for your superheroes. Because here is the truth about Las Vegas, here is the truth about the WWE... it doesn't matter that if you're the best wrestler, it doesn't matter if you're the best talker, it doesn't matter if you're the best overall performer, it doesn't matter if you make the two clowns sitting to my left on commentary look like amateur hour. There is a glass ceiling and nobody is allowed to break it. That's the simple story of this place. The more popular you are, the more money you make. The more you people cheer for any given superstar, the more opportunities you're afforded. Why do you think a guy like John Cena, who has admittedly had the worst year of his career, gets title shot after title shot after title shot after title shot? Or why a lethal grappler, why a serious submission specialist like Daniel Bryan puts a smile on his face and settles himself, belittles himself with catchphrases. Or why a four hundred pound monster, Brodus Clay, soils his hands by touching your filthy, ugly, little children to get in the ring so he can shuck and jive for you. Or why an invisible child, Little Jimmy, is better positioned on the flagship show Monday Night RAW than a workhorse like Tyson Kidd..._

_Look at you! You're doing it now! You're falling for everything I say, you're playing into my hands... but this is the way it is and this is the way you want it because this is the way you handle it. It's easy, it's simple to digest because you people can't handle anything complicated, you people can't stomach anything interesting. This is the way it's been since the beginning of the time. We're all here in the circus to entertain you. And nobody's ever been able to attain a modicum of success without you. _

_Except for now. _

_Until I showed up. I've become the most successful WWE champion of all time. Not of the modern era. No, that's another little buzzword that somebody backstage wants you to say. They probably wanna put it on a t-shirt. But that's the way you get noticed. You don't get noticed until you start to move a couple of t-shirts around here. If I— if I competed in Bruno Sammartino's era, I'd have been champion for twenty years, too. No, I'd have been champion for thirty years. Because wrestling one night a month at Madison Square Garden is easy. I wrestle physically demanding matches on free television, week in and week out. So much that my one year equals thirty of theirs. And I have attained this success, not— not because of you. I am successful not because of you. I am successful in sprite of you. _

_Now, I'm the most honest man in this building, I'm the most honest man in this company 'cause everybody else has got the same, old, tired crybaby story. They'll come out here and they'll say 'I do it for the people, I do it for all of you. Let's hear it for Tampa, Florida!' Here's some honesty. I watched Roddy Piper smash a coconut over Jimmy Snuka's head and I sure as hell didn't say 'Golly Gee! I can't wait to go electrify the people of Tamba Bay, Florida.' No! Because I don't care about the people of Tampa Bay, Florida. _

_There are good guys and there's bad guys in this world and make no mistake about it, ladies and gentlemen, I am a bad, bad man and I can freely admit it. But Ric Flair will come out here and he'll cry his one hundred and eighty two year eyes out and say 'Oh, I did it for all of you'. Shawn Michaels can come out here and lose his smile and find his smile, but then in a— in a tearful Hall of Fame speech he'll say that his entire career was just to gain your acceptance. Then a man like Edge is forced to retire and he'll say that he misses competing for people like you. Now, these people, these men are either weak or they're dishonest and they're liars. It's either one or the other. But I— I'm neither weak nor dishonest. I'm the best in the world. _

_Two types of people on this earth. Those born to be in the spotlight and those born to pay to see the people in the spotlight. Ladies and gentlemen, there's winner and losers. Guess which one you are. You're born to pay to see champions like me, it's not the other way round. And I'll be the first guy to come out here and admit it, I'm honest. I have never ever done this for any of you. There's superstars and there's nobodies. I am a superstar, you are all nobodies. And I'm a real superstar. Those real superstars, hell, if they're your friends, why don't they come out here and give you the millions and millions of dollars they earn? Why don't they lie in your pockets? 'Cause that's— that's not your position on earth. _

_Uh, I'm being told that we have to take a commercial break. I'm not done, let me explain something to you. Let me explain something to everybody in the truck. We don't go to break when you wanna go to break. We go to break when the champ wants to go to break. Listen up and understand something 'cause the Rock's gonna come out here and he's gonna talk a whole lot. Well, I will now tell you the most important thing you're gonna hear tonight. _

_You do not matter, you do not matter, you do not matter. None of you matter. What you want doesn't matter. _

_I stand here on the first RAW of 2013, your WWE champion and I promise you, in one year's time I will stand in this ring on the first RAW of 2014 still your WWE champion. What fuels me is your constant disappointment in your self-appointed superheroes to be able to drag this title away from me. And now the Rock has come back, but it's not gonna change the fact that I'm the WWE champion and I'm not gonna let the Rock tear down everything that I've fought so hard to attain. No, no, no, no, not at all. You know, in 2011 when I defeated Alberto Del Rio for this title at Madison Square Garden, I didn't just beat Alberto Del Rio. I beat the system. And every time after that when I beat one of your superheroes, and I don't care if it was John Cena, Ryback, Chris Jericho, Kane, Big Show, Dolph Ziggler, any of the liteny of superstars that I've defeated, I wasn't just beating them, I was beating all of you. And for four hundred and fourteen days that's exactly what I've done. In your face, jerks. I have beaten you. I have stomped you out under my oppressive boot and I'm gonna do the same thing to the Rock because I don't care if he's back. You all do not get to win. You are losers. You do not get to win. You do not—''_

* * *

Holding an ice pack to her face, Alexa watched as The Rock's music hit, interrupting CM Punk mid-pipebomb and going off on a tangent of his own. ''Jesus...''

''Pretty heavy stuff, huh?''

A smile broke out on her face when she found Jon leaning against the door frame. ''Yeah, at least this time he stuck to the script.''

She lowered the ice as Jon came to a stop just in front of her, his hand reaching for her chin before tilting her head back to get a closer look.

''How does it look?''

''Well, you're definitely going to have one hell of a shiner.'' He responded, a teasing glint in his eye. ''But, on the plus side, it takes the attention away from the zit...''


	51. Chapter 51

**Sunday 27th January**

''This is fucking stupid!''

''Phil!''

The room fell silent once more before he spoke again. ''Well, it is.''

''Look, it's not like they want me to have a full-on fucking match with the guy. It's just a couple of moves, it'll be fine.''

It was the night of the Royal Rumble and they had just received their scripts for that night, as well as for the next few shows. After reading through them, they had found out that during Raw the following night, she was booked to take a few big bumps from the returning Brock Lesnar.

''You've lost your mind...''

''Why have you got such a big issue with this but were completely fine when I was in the ladder match with Ryan?''

''That was different.''

''How? He's not exactly the safest of people to work with either, people on the internet have even started calling him Rybotch!''

''Look, you-''

''I'm an adult, Phil, I can make my own decisions.''

''Yeah, well, it's a stupid decision!''

''Look, I know you're pissed that you're dropping the title to Dwayne tonight, but don't take it out on me.''

''That has noth-''

''You know, I really though _you_ of all people would understand.'' She shook her head before rising from her chair. ''It's about damn time that the women got to be part of a big, main event storyline. Don't you get how lucky I am to be involved in all this? I'd be crazy to turn it down and you shouldn't expect me to just because I've got a pair of boobs and a vagina.''

* * *

''Fucking asshole.''

Mumbling angry under her breath, Alexa stormed through the hallways of the arena, heading towards catering. She was so distracted by her thoughts that she turned a corner and walked face first into a hard chest, knocking her off her feet.

Her eyes widened when looked up, finding a familiar man reaching down with his hand out, blue eyes filled with amusement. Taking his hand, she let him help her up before slugging him in the shoulder.

''Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?!''

''I wanted it to be a surprise!'' Chris laughed, pulling the young woman into a tight hug.

Her arms tightened around his waist and she let out a happy sigh. ''It's good to see you, old man.''

''Hey!'' He cried, pulling away from her with a pout. ''Less of the old, thank you very much.''

''Truth hurts, huh?'' She snorted, dodging a playful swipe aimed at her arm.

''Where were you going in such a hurry, anyway?'

''Just trying to get away from Phil, he's being an ass.'' She rolled her eyes. ''More so than usual, anyway.''

He slung an arm around her shoulder and started to lead her down the hallway. ''What's he done this time?''

''Well-''

''Lex!''

The pair turned around, discovering the three members of The Shield walking towards them, closely followed by a smug-looking Phil. To her surprise, it was Colby who had called out angrily; the man had a frown etched on his face as he clutched a wad of papers in his hand.

''Hey, wha-''

''What the hell is this?'' He interrupted, waving the paper in front of him.

She rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. ''Jesus, not you too...''

''What is wrong with you?!'' He snapped, shaking his head at her. ''Do you want another broken neck? Everyone knows he's a stiff worker, he's not going to take it easy just because you're a girl!''

''Hey!'' Chris stepped forward, fixing the other man with a stern look. ''Back off, alright. I don't know what this is about, but-''

''She's getting a beat down from Lesnar tomorrow night.'' Phil informed him over Joe's shoulder.

The Canadian's eyes shot up into his hairline as he turned to the woman beside him. ''Is that true?''

She glared across at Phil, before glancing at the blonde. ''Well, I wouldn't really call it a beat down...''

Chris watched the scene unfold before him, wisely deciding to keep his opinions to himself. Phil, however, never could keep his mouth shut.

''You need to go to Vince and tell him you're not doing it.''

Colby nodded in agreement. ''Yeah, he'll understand if you don't want to do it.''

Alexa's eyes flicked back and forth between the two men before her stony gaze fell on Jon and Joe; she folded her arms over her chest and quirked an eyebrow, daring them both to say something. ''And what do you two think?''

Joe held his hands up defensively. ''I'm not getting involved...''

All eyes fell on Jon.

''Well, not that I think you need my approval or anything... but if you really want to do it, then it's fine with me.''

She sent him a small smile before narrowing her eyes at the two men beside him. ''Okay, I get that you're concerned or whatever but you're acting like complete a-holes. Neither of you have any right to try and tell me that I can't do something. I'm perfectly capable of taking a few bumps, you seem to forget that I've been doing this longer than both of you.''

''Lex, we're just-''

''Can it, Brooks... you know, I really should be used to people underestimating me by now. The Divas get it everyday from the fans, from the dirt sheets- fuck- we even get it from the agents! I never thought I'd have to hear this kind of shit from my friends, too. You can both go fuck yourselves.''

* * *

Alexa wheeled her luggage out to the dark and emptied parking lot, a small smile on her face as she listened to Nick, Ettore, April and Celeste talking animatedly ahead of her.

Instead of waiting for Jon, Joe and Colby, she had decided to join the quartet for the journey to Las Vegas. She was still pretty pissed with Colby and really didn't want to be stuck in a car with him for over four hours.

''Okay, who wants to drive?'' Nick asked, unlocking the rental as they approached.

''I will.'' Alexa offered, slinging her bag into the trunk before stepping back to let everyone else pack their cases in.

The blonde raised an eyebrow, his gaze moving to the two women behind her who were shaking their heads frantically. ''Uh...''

''No.'' Ettore told her bluntly.

''What? I'm a good driver!''

April and Celeste didn't even try to cover their snorts of laughter.

Ettore smirked down at her. ''I seem to recall a time down in Tampa, where you were giving us a ride to a show-''

April cut in. ''-and you drove us off the road because you were too busy lip-synching to 'Baby Got Back'.''

''Well, yeah...'' Alexa turned to Nick with a smug grin. ''But I totally nailed it.''

* * *

''I can't believe they're asleep already.''

''Rookies nowadays... no stamina.''

Alexa snorted, shifting in her seat to look at the three sleeping faces in the back. Celeste was behind the driver's seat, her head leaning against the window as she snored softly. Ettore was behind the passenger seat, the man in a similar position against the glass. And April was squashed between them, her head lolling on the big man's shoulder as she slept.

Quickly pulling her phone out, she snapped a photo of the trio and showed it to Nick, who let out a loud guffaw.

''That needs to go on Twitter.''

''Already on it.'' She replied, pulling open the app and uploading the image. ''So, how's things going with April and E... you guys all getting on?''

''Yeah, they're great.''

''I'm sensing a but in there somewhere.''

He sighed, sparing a quick glance to his right to meet her gaze. ''I don't know, it's just frustrating, you know? I spent two years with Vickie and I thought I'd finally proved myself and they were going to give me the chance to break out and do things on my own. I know I can do big things in the company, but they're not letting me.''

''I get it, trust me.'' She nodded, shooting him a sympathetic smile. ''I know it's a bit different but they do the same with the Divas; I've been bounced around between Chris, Punk, Cena, D-X briefly... and now, The Shield... they never let us just _be _wrestlers.''

''Must be hard.''

''Sometimes. But, at the end of the day, I'm really lucky to be doing what I love. So, I can't really complain.'' She smiled over at him. ''Besides, you're Mr. Money in the Bank... that must mean they see something in you.''

''Yeah, maybe.'' He replied, not sounding too sure.

''You're a super talented guy, Nick, they'll see that eventually.'' She quirked an eyebrow, a smirk curling her lips. ''Although, one drawback is that I hear that you can be a bit _too _athletic...''

Nick laughed. ''I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I?''

''Nope.'' She drawled. ''But, I suppose, it could have been worse.''

''Oh, totally.'' He agreed, turning to glance at her. ''Speaking of exes... is Orton still being a grade A douche?''

She snorted lightly. ''I think he'll always be a douche. But, we're cool, we've made our peace.''

''I heard you were dating one of the new guys?''

''Uh-huh, Jon.'' She rolled her eyes at his blank look, before adding; ''Ambrose.''

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. ''Really?''

''What's that supposed to mean?''

''Nothing, he just doesn't seem like your type, that's all.'' He sent her a teasing look. ''I assumed you just went for the pretty boys.''

''Yeah, look where that got me.'' She mumbled, pulling her phone out after it buzzed, signalling a notification. Her face screwed up in distaste as she came across a photo a fan had tweeted her. ''Okay, eww...''

''What?''

Alexa angled the phone towards him, showing the man naked, with the caption; _Maybe you can save this for a rainy day ;)_

''Nice.'' He rolled his eyes, noticing her replying in his peripheral vision. ''What are you saying?''

''I wrote; _What for? To keep my dry? Because that's what it's doing right now..._''

Nick let out a loud guffaw, which drew movement from the backseat.

''Can you two keep it down.'' Ettore grumbled.

''A girl can't even get a decent nap back here...'' Celeste whined, rubbing at her eyes.

Nick glanced in the mirror, raising an eyebrow at them. ''You've been asleep for three hours, that wasn't a nap, that's a coma.''


	52. Chapter 52

**Thank you for all of your kind reviews, they really keep me going! I don't know why but this chapter has been my favourite to write so please be gentle with me if you decide to leave a review. Thanks :)**

* * *

**Monday 28th January**

Alexa walked into the Thomas &amp; Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada with one bag slung over her shoulder and another dragging behind her. By her side was her boyfriend, the pair making their way into the arena ready for RAW that night.

''You'll have to talk to them sooner or later.''

Alexa turned to fix Jon with a pointed look. ''Not until they both apologize to me... and mean it.''

Rolling his eyes at her stubbornness, he kept quiet and they continued their pace into the backstage area, following the signs to the adjacent locker rooms. Making sure the hallway was empty, they shared a quick kiss before separating and heading into their designated room.

She had just set down her bags when there was a knock at the door and a production assistant stuck her head inside. ''Miss. Torres, Mr. McMahon would like to have a word with you. He's in his office.''

Alexa nodded and the woman left just as quickly as she arrived.

The walk to Vince's office was only a short one and she knocked sharply on the door, hoping whatever he wanted would be quick so she could grab some food before getting ready for the show.

''Come in!''

She pushed the door open and entered with a smile. ''Hey Vince.''

''Take a seat, take a seat.''

Stepping further into the spacious room, she raised an eyebrow when she found Paul Heyman sitting at the edge of the desk. She took up a seat opposite Vince and looked between the two men curiously. ''So, what's up, boss?''

''We wanted to go over the script for tonight, make sure everybody's happy with it.'' Vince cleared his throat. ''Uh... Phil came to me with some concerns regarding-''

''I swear to God, if you tell me that this whole thing's changed because of his sexist-''

''No.'' Vince held his hands up, quickly cutting her off. ''No, not at all. We're saving that for next week, we have a better idea for tonight.''

''Okay...'' Alexa breathed out slowly.

Vince smirked as Paul leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes. ''How do you feel about dropping a pipebomb of your own?''

* * *

_''Ziggy, can you do me a favour and put a leash on your crazy little doggy before she pee-pees all over the ring?''_

_''Hey, watch your mouth!''_

_''Hey! I think you should leave... before I ruin your little return.''_

_''Big E. BIG E! __**BIG E! **__He's only got an E for a name! What does the E stand for? Your bra size? Because those are some giant pecs, my man, I could put a drink on those things...''_

Alexa looked away from the monitor with a snort, her eyes falling on the three members of The Shield. Colby had found her after her meeting with Paul and Vince, offering her a heartfelt apology; the woman hadn't been able to resist the puppy eyes and had quickly forgiven him.

''We should get going.'' Joe suggested, pushing out his hair and standing. ''We're up after this.''

The other three followed his lead and headed out of catering, Colby turning to her with a frown. ''In the script, there's a big blank section after you go down to the ring. What's that all about?''

''Oh, it's nothing, I'm just cutting a promo.''

The group came to a halt just before they reach the gorilla and Alexa threw her arm over her boyfriend's shoulder, pulling him tight to her side. She grinned widely and looked up at him with excitement. ''I am so excited I just peed myself a tiny bit.''

His dimples were in full force as he smiled down at her, the other two men laughing beside them.

''Torres!''

She ducked out from under Jon's arm and planted a quick kiss on his cheek before she moved forward, waving at the trio. ''Well, I'm going to go shake up the Diva's division... see you guys out there!''

* * *

_Vince McMahon and Paul Heyman were alone in the ring, the former holding a personal performance review of the New Yorker. ''So, Mr. Heyman, let me ask you a question... Have you ever had, or currently have, The Shield and/or Brad Maddox under contract?''_

_Thousands of jeering voices echoed through the arena as Paul adjusted his tie, before nervously raising the microphone to his lips. ''I want to thank you for this opportunity. To come out here and look you in the eye, and settle this once and for all. Because the answer to your question - and you have every reason in the world to ask me that question - and the answer to that question is no, I have never had anything to do with Brad Maddox, nor The Shield.''_

_Several members of the WWE Universe were quite vocal in their disbelief of his reply, and Vince appeared to agree._

_''Mr. Heyman, let me ask you a question. Have you ever in your life- have you ever lied?''_

_''You know a long time ago I remember, in the Madison Square Garden dressing room I heard your father say the phrase, 'Adversity defines a man's character in his darkest hour.' And faced with the adversity of the fact that I have a feeling I know where this is going, I will tell you: I have lied every day of my stinking life... because I am a promoter and that's what promoters do. We lie to survive tonight, or simply to get to tomorrow. Whatever answer I've had to give in my life to survive on that particular evening, just so I could wake up the next day alive and with a business, or with a career or with a job; I have lied through my teeth. I have lied swearing to God. I have lied on the souls of my parents and I have lied, lied, lied and I don't regret it because that's what it took for me to survive. But, I will tell you, looking you in the eye right now and knowing that my career is on the line; I swear to you on everything that is holy, Vincent Kennedy McMahon, I've lied every day of my life but I swear to you I am not lying now.''_

_''So, you're an honorable man?'' Vince questioned dubiously._

_''I'm __**trying**__ to become an honorable man!'' He cried. ''And maybe I can learn from you, in how to be an honorable man. I can't tell you I've been a saint, I've never been a saint in my life. But I- but I want to be here! And if it takes being an honorable man to be here then, damn it, that's what I'll be.''_

_Vince lifted his hand, holding it in front of Paul's sweaty face. ''Let's get a good look at this honorable face. Can we get a close up, please, of this honorable face?''_

_The camera slowly zoomed in on the man._

_''Is this an honorable face?'' Vince asked the audience._

_**'NO!'**_

_''Is this an honest man?''_

_**'NO!'**_

_''Mr. Heyman, I want to show you some footage now, and after we show you the footage I'd like to get your comments, if you don't mind. Now chances are, I think you'll recognize it when you see it. Let's roll the footage.''_

The titantron showed footage of Paul walking through a backstage area with Brad Maddox, the pair being filmed by Brad's cameraman. Paul told the man to switch his camera off but he carried on recording. It was revealed that Heyman and Punk hired Maddox to screw Ryback at Hell In a Cell. Heyman also revealed that after that plan failed, someone else offered to help, a woman who had complied a team.

The Shield.

Paul revealed that he paid the three men to do jobs for them. Jobs, which unlike the one he gave Brad, actually got done properly. Paul told him to take his beating like a man as The Shield appeared, surrounding him.

The footage cut to Brad's screams among the sounds of fists on flesh.

_Before Vince could react to the video they had all just seen, Paul suddenly lifted his microphone, his face contorted in panic as he spoke. ''Mr. McMahon, I can tell you who's responsible for ALL of this! I know I look guilty, and I'll admit, Brad Maddox was down to me, but that's it! I had nothing to do with The Shield! None of that was my idea, none of it! I swear to you, I had no idea what she was doing!''_

_The noise from the crowd grew louder at his words, everyone in the arena desperate to know who the man was talking about._

_''Well then, tell us, who was it?''_

_''It wa-''_

_**She takes to the spotlight**_

_**To the stage**_

_**You can tell she craves it by the look on her face**_

_**Everyone can't help but stare away**_

_Sierra emerged from behind the stage and a loud cheer arose from the crowd, despite the situation, and the two men in the ring both turned to face the ramp. Vince with a look of confusion and Paul with one of immense relief._

_She sauntered down the ramp, a blank look on her face as she climbed the steps to the ring. Ducking through the ropes, she shot Paul a withering glare as she passed him, moving over to grab a microphone from a stagehand._

_''Well...'' She drawled, a cocky smirk spreading her lips as she spoke. ''I guess the secret's out, thanks to old Paulie here.''_

_''You mean to tell me, th- that YOU are responsible for The Shield's actions since their debut?'' Vince asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief._

_Sierra stepped towards the man, staring him dead in the eye. ''Yes. As much as it kills me to say this, Heyman is telling the truth.''_

_''The Shield work for you?''_

_''We work together.''_

_Vince was flabbergasted. ''Why? Why go to all that effort? You want to ruin the WWE's good name? Is that it?''_

_''Ruin the WWE's good name?'' Sierra gave a low chuckle. ''Vince, I don't think you need me to accomplish that. You're already half-way there.''_

_''What?'' He asked, face slowly turning red from anger._

_''Well, it's obvious, isn't it? All you care about is money... that's all you've cared about in years. You're all about the 'sports entertainment' nowadays, not the wrestling. They say money is the root of all evil, and it's true.'' She pointed a finger towards her boss. ''All you see is the profit. Nothing else. You ignore all the dedicated, hard-working, talented people in the back and focus all you attention on the ones who bring you the most money. You just proved my point last night when you screwed over CM Punk in favour of a washed-up, has-been like The Rock!''_

_''Now, wait just a-''_

_''I'm not finished!'' Sierra shouted, effectively cutting him off. ''Now, story time... When I first came to the WWE, the division was thriving. It was the Golden Era of women's wrestling. We had Trish Stratus, Lita, Ivory, Molly Holly, Victoria, Mickie James, Victoria, Jazz, Gail Kim, Melina... extremely talented women who came out here and tore it up, week after week after week... While I was out with my injury, I was forced to watch as the Diva's division slowly went downhill. All because of you, Vince. You let the majority of the women with real wrestling skills go, and replaced them with women who could be better described as 'bikini models' or 'magazine cover girls'. It became blatantly obvious that the 'Diva's' were chosen purely on the basis of their physical appearance rather than their actual in-ring capabilities. Talented women were __continually passed over, time and time again, in favour of all the no-talent airheads who came to play at being a wrestler... How is that fair, Vince!? How is that justice?''_

_Paul Heyman watched, wide-eyed, as the woman walked casually around the ring, halting just in front of Vince with a sneer._

_''And, due to the fact that the women were treated as 'eye-candy' by YOU, they were seen as such by the fans. People stopped caring about the women's matches... the one or two generous minutes that you so kindly gave them for a so-called 'match,' people started using as time to go to the toilet or to go get more beer... everyone lost respect for us. Everyone. Hell, even most of the people backstage did, and I don't blame them. I worked my whole life to get here. I broke my neck in one of YOUR rings and I still came back, because I love wrestling more than anything in the world! And what do I come back to... this bullshit! YOU made us into a complete joke!''_

_Sierra spat angrily, maintaining eye-contact with Vince, whose face was growing redder by the second. The entire arena was filled with excited chatter from the crowd; most of them not quite believing what they were actually hearing._

_''Desmond Tutu once said; 'If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor... Well, I decided that I was sick of being oppressed. I decided it was time for a change. I'm here to prove that a woman can preach, a woman can work, a woman can fight. A woman can build, can rule, can conquer, can destroy, just as much as a man can. I've been__ teaching all the other Divas a valuable lesson recently... and that lesson, is that I am better than ALL of them. THEY are the problem. They are the INJUSTICE__!__''_

_She stepped back, taking __a few deep breaths to calm herself before sm__irking across at the man in front of her. _

_''After thinking long and hard, I realized that there's only so much I can do... I can only take care of half of the problem in the WWE... When I was down at NXT, I was fortunate enough to meet some like-minded individuals who shared my frustrations. Three, super-talented guys who had been stuck, rotting away down in Florida for far too long. I helped them break free, so they could help me fix this place from all the injustice that plagues it! Vince, you have me to thank! Paul Heyman has ME to thank. CM Punk has ME to thank... the entire WWE Universe has ME to thank for keeping the WWE Championship around the waist of someone who deserved it! We are The Shield... and we are here to SAVE the WWE!''_

_Her impassioned rant over, she lowered the microphone from her lips and a stunned silence fell over the three in the ring. The audience was beside themselves, a loud chant of 'SIERRA' making its way around the arena, much to Vince's displeasure. _

_''See, Mr. McMahon! She admits it, it was all her!'' Paul Heyman cried happily. ''I'm completely innocent!''_

_''Cut the crap, Paul!'' Sierra interrupted, with a roll of her eyes. ''Brad Maddox was ALL you, I had nothing to do with that, you said so yourself. Maybe if that had worked, I wouldn't have had to do any of this.''_

_''You bitc-''_

_The crowd let out an 'oooh' as his head was snapped to the side by the force of her slap, an angry red mark already appearing on the side of his face._

_''You ar-''_

_''SHUT UP!'' Vince bellowed, stepping in between them. ''Both of you, shut the hell up, right now! I've heard enough. You've both already sealed your fate! Sierra, Mr. Heyman; you're both fi-''_

_His dismissal of the pair was cut off, the familiar sound of Brock Lesnar's music ripping through the arena. The fans, forgetting about what was happening inside the ring, went crazy when the big man appeared at the top of the ramp._

_The Beast was back._

_Vince, Paul and Sierra all watched in shock as the hulking man advanced down the ramp, circling the ring before jumping up onto the apron. His intense gaze remained locked on Vince as he climbed between the ropes and entered the ring; his manager pleading with him to stand down. _

_Not having any of it, Brock gestured towards the corner, silently commanding for Paul to stay out-of-the-way. Sierra followed his lead, shrinking back int the opposite corner. The big man stepped towards Vince, the two men going toe-to-toe as they stared each other down. _

_Vince swallowed heavily as he raised the microphone. ''If I were you... I wouldn't do something I would regret later on...''_

_A smirk spread across Brock's lips as he stepped back, seemingly thinking about the older man's words. Paul stepped forward, trying to reason with his charge. Again, he was relegated to the corner of the ring._

_Brock paused for a few more moments before he suddenly sprung into action. He effortlessly picked Vince up, positioning him over his shoulders before dropping him to the mat with a powerful F-5._

_Sierra's mouth dropped open in shock as she watched Paul fall to his knees beside Vince, the man clutching his head in his hands as he realized what Brock had just done._

_''No, no! Stop! No more! No more!''_

_Ignoring him, Brock turned his menacing gaze on the women in the corner._

_Feeling eyes on her, Sierra slowly looked up, her eyes widening in fear as Brock advanced on her. The fans turned on her in the blink of an eye, cheering excitedly as they awaited her comeuppance._

_Not one to back down, Sierra straightened up and fixed him with a defiant look, crossing her arms over her chest. Paul rose to his feet, moving to stand behind Brock, who was shooting an amused look at the woman in front of him. _

_''Come on Brock, you've done enough, let's go!''_

_Sierra smirked. ''Yeah, Brock, run along... better do what Paulrus tells you, huh? What are you? His little bitch?!''_

_Paul let out a long, exasperated sigh and closed his eyes as Brock's jaw clenched angrily. Sierra let out a scream as the man reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her towards him roughly and he spoke harshly in her ear. She struggled valiantly, but was no match for his brute strength, and was forced to listen to his venomous words._

_Paul moved forward, placing a hand on Brock's shoulder as he tried to calm him down. ''Come on, come on, she's just a girl... you really want to do this to a girl?!''_

_The Beast paused and Sierra, taking advantage of this momentary distraction, reached out to deliver a stinging slap to the side of his face. _

_Shocked, Brock immediately loosened his grip on her, giving the woman the chance to stumble back, leaning onto the ropes for support. The crowd, sharing Lesnar's feelings, descended into a stunned silence._

_Before he could retaliate, three figures suddenly entered the ring, darting protectively in front of her._

_The Shield._

_The crowd booed as the three men held Brock's furious gaze for several, tense seconds before Paul managed to coax him out of the ring. The image of Brock backing up the ramp, his eyes never leaving the three men inside the ring, was the last thing viewers saw as Raw went off the air._


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming :)**

* * *

**Tuesday 29th January**

_**'The Rock and Other Part-Time Stars; Biggest Injustice for the Shield.'**_

_**'Sierra revealed as The ShieldMaiden - Twitter reactions.'**_

_**'Raw results: PipeBomb, Sierra Style!'**_

_**'Can Sierra REALLY save the Diva's Division?'**_

_**'Sierra's promo ruffles feathers backstage?'**_

_**'The Shield set to carve a new path.'**_

Alexa was becoming more and more overwhelmed with each new headline she encountered; the events of the previous night's Raw was all people were talking about. It was all over Twitter, the dirt sheets, blogs... it was everywhere.

''Is she googling herself again?''

Jon nodded, rolling his eyes. ''Yep.''

''I never took you for a narcissist, Lex.''

''What?''

''You've been reading articles about yourself all morning.''

''I have not...'' She tore her eyes away from the screen of her phone, a sheepish grin appearing on her face. ''I started reading them last night.''

Joe tutted, shaking his head in mock-disappointment. ''You've changed, baby girl.''

''I-''

''Sandra's ready for you, Lex.'' Colby informed her as he re-entered the room, toying with the straps on the new vest he had just been fitted with.

The group was backstage at the Valley View Casino Center for the Smackdown taping which would be taking place later that night. They had been told to arrive at the arena several hours early so Alexa could get fitted for her new gear before their planned photo shoot.

Groaning, Alexa pushed herself from the chair and made her way into the next room where the older woman was waiting. ''Hey, so... what do you have for me?''

* * *

''I don't know...'' Alexa turned around to check her reflection. ''They're a bit short, aren't they?''

''Pfft!'' Sandra moved up behind her, pulling at the hem of her booty shorts. ''Girl, they're fine, they cover what needs to be covered. Besides, you've got the pants too.''

Biting her lip unsurely, she repositioned herself so she was facing the mirror, casting a critical eye over her body.

In order to fit in with the other guys, she had been given gear that matched theirs, but with a more feminine twist. As well as a pair of similar cargo pants, she had a pair of booty shorts that showed off her muscular legs. On her upper half she wore a simple black tank top, and over the top of that she the standard Shield tactical vest. It was almost exactly like the ones the guys wore, but it was more form-fitting and showed just a hint of cleavage.

''Is the vest too tight?'' Sandra asked, appearing beside her.

''No.'' She responded, moving around to get a better feel for it. ''No, it's fine.''

The woman nodded, looking her up and down before giving her a gentle pat on the back. ''Then you're all good to go, Lex.''

''Thanks, Sandra.''

She headed over to the make-up department; sitting patiently while her long, dark hair was straightened before being slicked back into a tight ponytail. Dark eye make-up and deep, red lipstick completed the look and even she had to admit, she looked bad ass.

Thanking the hair and make-up ladies for their time, she hopped down from the chair and made her way back to the shoot area.

''Hot damn!'' Joe whistled as she walked into the room.

''Looks like it's official, you're a suited and booted member of The Shield now!'' Colby said with a smile

''You look awesome.'' Jon snuck up behind her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leaning down to speak in her ear. ''I hope you realize how it's going to be when you're at ringside and I'm trying to wrestle with a boner.''

A loud cough cut across them. ''Still here.'' Colby said awkwardly.

When the photographer finally arrived, the director of the shoot wasted no time in ushering Alexa over to the screen. They started off with some individual shots of her in her new get-up, some of which were going to used in the graphics in the match previews.

That part would have been pain-free, if she hadn't been aware of the guys' eyes on her the whole time.

''Put your hand on your hip, and arch your back.'' The director called out.

Alexa did as he asked and stared determinedly into the camera. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jon lean forward and mutter something to the man, making Colby and Joe shake their head in amusement.

''Yeah, and push your chest out a little more.''

Keeping her face schooled into a neutral expression, she wordlessly lifted her hand of her hip and flipped them the bird, the laugher only getting louder.

* * *

_''Can you please just hear him out?''_

''No, he was a complete dick, Scotty.''

_''He's always a dick, how are you only just noticing this?''_

Alexa sighed, glancing up from the bed as Jon emerged from the bathroom, his skin wet and glistening from his shower with only a towel hanging low on his hips.

_''Lex!''_

Biting her lip, she reluctantly tore her eyes away from the sight in front of her and returned her attention to the man on the other end of the phone.

''Look, until the jackass apologizes, I refuse to talk to him.''

_''Urgh! You two are going to be the death of me!''_

Having been friends with both Alexa and Phil for so long, he had been witness to many of their arguments and was used to playing peace keeper between the pair. Zoning out as he started ranting about their stubbornness, her eyes shifted over to Jon; she watched with a fond smile as he shook his head to get some of the excess water out, long strands of hair falling over his face in the process.

_''I get the distinct impression that you're not even listening to me.''_

''You would be correct... can we change the subject, please?''

_''Fine... your promo last night was fucking awesome, by the way. Did Vince know you were going to say all that stuff, he looked like he was ready to blow a gasket.''_

''Uh... he knew the general gist of what I was going to say... I improvised on a few things, which I got a some shit for. But, the whole thing went down pretty well with all the fans and stuff, so he couldn't really complain.''

_''Yeah, you're like an internet sensation!''_

''Hardly!'' She laughed, narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend as he dropped onto the bed beside her, the mattress dipping under his weight. ''I guess I just said what a lot of people were thinking...''

Scott's response fell on deaf ears when a pair of lips suddenly attached themselves to hers. She let the phone drop down as she kissed him back, letting out a soft moan from the back of her throat.

_''Jesus, I can fucking hear you!_

Scott's indignant screech through the speaker brought her back to reality with a crash and she quickly pulled the phone back to her ear.

''Sorry... it wasn't my fault, he threw himself at me.''

_''I didn't hear you complaining... listen, I'll talk to you later, make sure you make up with Phil!''_

''Bye Cabana!'' Jon shouted, grabbing the phone and tossing it haphazardly across the bed before he pounced on her again.


	54. Chapter 54

**Monday 4th Febuary**

''Good work, guys. It sounds great.'' Arn Anderson gave the pair in front of him a quick nod of approval before rising from his chair. ''Lex, make sure you get the line in about the wolf and the pack.''

Alexa nodded as she paced around the small locker room, stretching her arms over her head. ''Got it, boss.''

As soon as he had left the room she dropped back into the soft, leather sofa beside John, smacking herself on her forehead with that night's script. ''This is _way _too much for my brain to handle...''

Raw that evening was being held at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The pair had just spent the last hour going through the lines for their promo later in the show, along with the producer, the legendary Arn Anderson. Alexa had only worked with him a handful of times and still found herself slightly in awe of the man, which probably explained why she kept fluffing her lines.

The Boston native chuckled, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. ''You want to go over it again? I don't mind.''

She shot him a thankful smile, but shook her head. ''I appreciate the offer, but I have to find Mike, Vickie and Paul to go over my segment with them. Then I need to go to hair and make-up before I film my segment with Phil. Oh, and then I have to try to find the elusive Lesnar to see if he has time to practice the F-5 with me...''

''Well, I know for a fact that Brock usually gets here pretty late, so I doubt you'll have time to go over the move-''

She groaned. ''Motherfuck-''

''But-'' He cut her off. ''I have a bit of time now, if you want to practice it with me before you head off to find Vickie and the guys?''

''You'd do that?''

''Of course.'' He looked mildly offended. ''We're friends, right? Besides, I still owe you for teaching me how to do a hurracanrana.''

''You have _no _idea how much I regret that...''

''What? I think I do alright!''

''John, I hate to say this.'' She gave him a patronizing smirk. ''But it kind of looks like you're trying to powerbomb yourself... you could rename it the self-bomb?''

He narrowed his eyes, giving her a half-hearted glare. ''You want my help or not?''

She plastered an innocent look on her face, holding up her hands apologetically. ''Sorry, sorry... I won't mention your dropkicks then...''

* * *

_''You!''_

_Sierra glanced up from the January issue of WWE Magazine she was reading, her violet eyes rolling when they fell on the figure in front of her. _

_''Oh, hey, Punk.'' _

_''Hey- Hey, Punk... that's all you have to say to me? Really?''_

_Shrugging, the woman dropped her gaze back down to the magazine. ''What do you want me to say?''_

_He leaned forward, grabbing the paper from her hands and throwing it over his shoulder._

_''Well, that was rud-''_

_''I want you to explain to me, exactly why you've been having The Shield interfere in my matches.'' He demanded._

_She pushed herself up from the chair with a huff, looking him dead in the eyes. ''Were you not listening last week?'' _

_The man snorted. ''All I heard last week was you complaining... you almost cost Paul his job! Do you have any idea how selfish you've been?''_

_''Selfish?'' She arched a brow, staring back at him in disbelief. ''You're so self-involved, you can't even see what I'm doing with The Shield, can you? It's people like you, that we're fighting to get justice for. You seriously have the nerve to call me selfish, when I had The Shield help you-''_

_''I NEVER asked for your help!'' He bellowed angrily. ''You're just dragging me and Paul down with you, you should be ashamed of yourself.''_

_''The only thing I'm ashamed of right now, is that I ever wanted anything to do with you.'' She hissed venomously, stepping closer to him with a sneer. ''Maybe if you were half the man you said you were... you wouldn't have needed my help.''_

_His eyes flashed dangerously as he stared down at her, making to move forward but thinking better of it. ''We're done. Whatever this was, it's done.'' He breathed in heavily and took a step back. ''Keep me, and Paul out of your stupid crusade. And keep your dogs out of my match at Elimination Chamber.''_

_''Fine by me.''_

_Punk gave the woman one last venemous glare before storming from the room._

* * *

''And cut! That was great, guys.''

The director of their segment wandered away to re-watch the footage, leaving Phil and Alexa alone in the small locker room, surrounded by an awkward silence.

''Look-''

She spoke across him firmly. ''Unless the next sentence out of your mouth is, 'I'm sorry, I was out of line,' then I don't want to hear it.''

Phil let out a heavy sigh. ''I'm not going to apologize for what I did, but I am sorry if it upset you.''

''But seriously, going to Vince? What the fuck, Phil?'' She questioned. ''You're supposed to be my friend, one of my _best _friends, why-''

''I was just looking out for you!''

''By going to my boss and making me out to be some kind of damsel in distress? You demeaned all the hard work I've done to get here, how can you not see that?'' Her eyes shone with unbridled anger. ''Do you not trust me to know what I'm doing?''

''Of course I do!'' He protested. ''I just... I'm sorry for going to Vince, alright? I shouldn't have done that, but you need to realize that you're not invincible. Do you want another broken neck?''

''I had more chance of breaking my neck in that ladder match, than I do getting in the ring with Brock.'' She told him firmly. ''I'm damn good at what I do, I can land a move without hurting myself."

''You think I don't know that? I've seen your matches, remember, some of the best I've seen from anyone.''

She tilted her head to the side, desperately trying to read the expression on his face. ''So, what's the real problem here?''

Phil opened his mouth to speak but quickly snapped it shut, his eyes falling down to the floor as he backed away from her. ''Nothing.''

''Phil, what...'' She trailed off, letting out a sigh as she watched him walk away.

Something was going on with him, and she was determined to find out what it was.

* * *

**RAW**

_''So, still to come, later tonight will be another episode of MizTv.'' Michael Cole informed the people at home. ''And he will be joined by Paul Heyman.''_

_King snorted. ''Should make for interesting viewing.''_

_''Indeed.'' He agreed. ''But, right now, we have Brad Maddox in the ring.''_

_The man in question was gesturing wildly for a microphone, which he quickly lifted to his lips._

_''Last week, as all of you know, Vince McMahon exposed the truth; that I was manipulated by Paul Heyman to help him at Hell in a Cell! Paul Heyman preyed on me because he knew that I was an honest, hard-working, up-and-coming, Superstar! Just trying to make a name for myself and now all of you know the truth.'' He paused, smirking as he looked around at the faces in the crowd. ''And, you know what? I'm glad that it's all out there. I am an innocent victim. I am innocent. I am a wronged man. And, you know what, I did the only thing that I could do, I did the right thing when I gave Vince the footage that proved that Paul Heyman was lying about me and lying about The Shield's involvement with CM Punk! So, in a very real way, I am the hero. I am the hero of the story. And, as your hero, it's going to be me and NOT John Cena... who's going to teach The Shield about justice.''_

_**'BRRRRRRRRRR... YABIDOOOOOOOOO!'**_

_Inside the ring, Brad gave a heavy eye roll as the leader of the Cenation made his way down to the ring; the reaction from the crowd divided, as usual. _

_''I literally just said that __**I**__ was going to be the one-''_

_''You've had your five minutes of fame, Maddox, time's up.'' John cut across him. ''Beat it.''_

_Brad's protests died on his lips when he saw the serious look in the other man's eyes. Letting the microphone drop from his hand, he slipped out of the ring with a dejected expression._

_''__Now, before I head to Wrestlemania and, again, become the WWE Champion... there is one thing that I have to do. Put a stop to The Shield. As they say, 'behind every great man, stands a great woman,' So, Sierra, why don't you come on down here so we can talk about this?''_

_''Think she's going to come out here?'' King asked curiously._

_''Well, if she has any sense, then no, she-''_

_Sierra's music blasted through the arena, effectively cutting the man off. The reaction she garnered from the WWE Universe was just as mixed as John's had been, although you could hear a lot more boos._

_She sauntered out onto the ramp, microphone in hand as she stared down at the ring. ''What do you want, Cena?''_

_''What I want, is to know why your little pack of dogs attacked me last week?'' He bellowed. ''Later in the show, we all know you were revealed to be in cahoots with them; vowing to save the WWE from, what you perceive, as injustice. I work my ass off for this company and I earned my title shot. So, tell me, how were The Shield justified in what they did to me last week?''_

_His words invoked a heavy round of cheers from the crowd, but Sierra just cocked a brow, a smirk pulling at her lips. _

_''Maybe the beating you took somehow damaged your hearing, because you obviously weren't listening to me last week. You said, just now, that 'behind every great man, stands a great woman'... but you've got it all wrong, John. I'm not BEHIND them. I'm BESIDE them. I don't tell The Shield what to do, we're a team. At the beginning, at Survivor Series, I might have made a few suggestions but I've never controlled them in the way you assume. But, to answer your question, why the hell do you think I would care about you and your title shot? I've got my own problems to deal with, like, for example, the fact that I was almost attacked by Brock Lesnar last week! I've got bigger things to worry about than John Cena.''_

_John narrowed his eyes at the woman. ''Well, that was your own damn fault. You knew Heyman had Lesnar at his disposal, yet you still tried to let him take the fall for your actions. And maybe calling him a 'little bitch' wasn't the way to go, I used to tell you that your mouth was going to get you in trouble one day. Looks like that day has finally arrived...''_

_''You know what, you're right. My mouth does run away with me sometimes, but, it doesn't change the fact that Brock Lesnar IS a little bitch, just like you! You deserved that beating last week, but I can't really take any credit for it. The Shield acted alone in that one. I don't think they're your biggest fans. Much like me, John, your mouth has a mind of its own. You shouldn't have called me out here tonight. You want to know why? Because, John, if you call one wold... you invite the pack!''_

**SIERRA. HOTEL. INDIA. ECHO. LIMA. DELTA.**

**SHIELD.**

_Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns emerged through the crowd, all three men stalking down the steps toward the ring. John tossed the microphone aside and turned to face the oncoming men, crouching down into a defensive position as they jumped the barricade._

_The Shield surrounded the ring, the trio just staring at the man inside as Sierra watched from her position on the stage. _

_Before any of them could make a move to enter, Ryback's music hit the arena. _

_Sierra turned around, expecting to find the hulking figure emerge from the back, but found nobody. The three men around the ring had all turned towards the ramp too, expecting the same thing._

_They eventually located Ryback, the man making his way down through the crowd just as they had a few minutes before._

_Then, Sheamus' theme struck; the Irish man running down through the stands too._

_''And The Shield, getting a bit of their own medicine, tonight!'' Michael Cole cried. ''Cena and company-''_

_King interrupted. ''Look, look, look! Look at The Shield!''_

_The crowd was roaring as The Shield panicked; the three men converging at the bottom of the ramp before making the hasty decision to retreat._

_''And The Shield heading for higher ground!''_

_Surrounded by the heavy boos of the crowd, the three men started to head up the ramp. They hadn't covered much ground when suddenly, they came to a standstill, and cheers soon flooded the arena._

_''Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!''_

_The Shield had found themselves blocked by a wall of angry Superstars who had been led from the backstage area by Randy Orton. Sierra had pressed herself up against the set at the back of the stage, watching on anxiously._

_''The WWE locker room blocking the path of The Shield!'' King laughed. ''They have nowhere to run!''_

_''It's time for justice, Cena style!''_

_John, Sheamus and Ryback were laying in wait as the three men slid into the ring, chaos soon erupting as the six men came to blows._

_''Boy, how long have we been waiting for this!'' King exclaimed. _

_''It's been a long time coming!''_

_Cena, Ryback and Sheamus soon gained the upper hand and The Shield had no choice but to retreat. The three men hurridly exited the ring, hopped the barricade and bolted up the arena steps. _

_''And Cena, Ryback, Sheamus all standing tall! But, make no doubt about it, The Shield will regroup...''_

* * *

''You sure you're okay with this?''

Alexa shot the big man a reassuring smile. ''Totally okay with it.''

Brock still looked unsure but nodded, his gaze returning to the monitor in front of them.

The pair was standing in gorilla, watching as the final segment of the night started to unfold. MizTv had been due to be in the middle of the show but Vince, after having a last-minute shuffle of the script, had decided to put them on last.

''And don't take it easy on me, either.''

He cocked an eyebrow before letting out a small chuckle. ''You got it, kid.''

Despite only having met 'The Beast' the week before, Alexa found herself oddly at ease around him. After being introduced to him by Paul, she soon discovered that his intimidating appearance had no bearing on his personality whatsoever. He had been nothing but polite and respectful when they spoke, completely destroying all of her misconceptions about him.

''Torres, you're up!''

* * *

_''Let me spell this out, so that even YOU can understand... I did not know that Brock Lesnar was in Las Vegas. I did not know that Brock Lesnar was going to attack Vince McMahon. I did not order Brock Lesnar to attack Vince McMahon. I'm sorry that it happened, but it did. And maybe, just maybe Mr. Mizanin, if you would stop being so obsessed with MizTv and just look at the footage, you would see that I tried to stop Brock Lesnar. I tried to back Brock Lesnar down! I even tried to stop him attacking Sierra.'' His voice softened towards the end of his speech, imploring people to believe his version of events._

_Miz cocked his head to the side, smirking over at the man. ''That's funny, because I blatantly saw a tape where you paid off Brad Maddox, Sierra and The so CM Punk could keep his WWE Championship. What I also saw, what we all saw, was Mr. McMahon going to fire you and Sierra for it! You know, I have to admit, Paul, I admire you. You might be the most committed liar I have ever met in my entire life.''_

_The crowd was silent as the two men stared each other down._

_''How dare you. How dare you invite me on to your show, and try to make yourself look good at my expense? You have all these questions for me about The Shield, and you have all these questions for me about Brad Maddox... okay, I have questions too, you know. I'd like to know, don't you agree that CM Punk was screwed out of the WWE Championship? Don't you agree that CM Punk, not The Rock, should be the WWE Champion? Don't you agree that Vince McMahon screwed CM Punk out of the WWE Championship? Don't you agree that in thirteen days, CM Punk is going to mop the floor and beat The Rock, and continue celebrating four hundred and fifty-five days as your reigning, defending WWE Champion?!''_

_Miz stepped forward, glaring at the man. ''Paul! You are changing the subject!'' _

_Paul nodded, running a hand over his face before stepping closer to him and stating firmly; ''I will answer every single one of your questions, just as soon as you answer mine.''_

_''Paul...'' The Miz spoke steadily into the microphone. ''You're crowding me.''_

_''I'm 'crowding' you?''_

_''You are. And I suggest you take a step back.''_

_''EXCUSE ME! EXCUSE ME!''_

_The two men stepped apart as Vickie Guerrero made her way down the ramp to heavy boos; Paul dropping his head in exasperation, while Miz watched on curiously._

_''Gentlemen, this bickering has to stop!'' She demanded, climbing into the ring and moving over to the pair. Her hand gestured to Paul as she looked over to The Miz. ''Paul Heyman, is telling the truth. Paul Heyman had nothing to do with Brock Lesnar returning last week... I did!''_

_Paul's head snapped towards the woman, surprised at her admission and that she was out there defending him. The other man just rose a brow, not looking convinced in the slightest._

_''I was negotiating with Brock for a while and I kept it quiet because I knew that Brock's track record, has been known to be controversial. However, I recognized that Brock, an elite free-agent and was available... and by seizing this opportunity, re-signing Brock, was a chance for me to impress Mr. McMahon. So that he would promote me to be permanent General Manager of Raw. So, last week at Raw, Brock and I finalized our deal. Paul Heyman and I had no idea that Brock would try to attack Sierra! Or do what he did to Mr. McMahon! I- I feel terrible and I- I feel awful. What hap- what happened to Mr. McMahon, I'm so sorry!''_

_The woman broke off into tearful sobs and Paul reached out an arm, pulling her towards him and letting her cry against his chest. The crowd booed and Miz gave a big eye roll as he watched the pair._

_''You two are lying through your teeth. I don't understand why you wanted Brock to attack Sierra, but here's what I do know; Paul, you've hated Mr. McMahon ever since he crushed your little company. And Vickie, how many times have we watched Mr. McMahon dangle the carrot of permanent GM, only to rip it away, time and time again. Now, you people expect us to believe that you're not popping the champagne bottle and-'''_

_Vickie shoved Paul aside, stepping towards the younger man. ''How dare you-''_

_''Vickie, I've got this.'' Paul interrupted, moving to face The Miz, spitting angrily. ''Now you're offending me!''_

_''I don't care! You two are bottom feeders! You live and feed off the success and misery of others.''_

_''May I remind you that I am your boss!'' Vickie screamed indignantly, making Paul laugh from beside her._

_''For how long, Vickie? After Mr. McMahon recuperates, it's only a matter of time before he fires you.'' He turned to Paul with a smirk. ''The same way he's going to finish what he started last week and fire you! And, hey, he'll probably fire Sierra too. You know, since she's the one who-''_

_**She takes to the spotlight**_

_**To the stage**_

_**You can tell she craves it by the look on her face**_

_**Everyone can't help but stare away**_

_A scowl was plastered on Sierra's face as she stalked down the ramp, microphone already in hand. She had a diverse reaction from the crowd; half of them were cheering and half were booing as she stepped into the ring. _

_''Well, well, well...'' Miz drawled as she stepped towards them. ''Look what the cat dragged in...Or, should I say, dogs. Where is your little pack? Oh, that's right, they finally got what was coming to them and ran away with their tails between their legs.''_

_''Miz... __the English language lacks the requisite words to express how much I dislike you. But, I'm not here for you.'' Her body spun around and she glared at the other two occupants of the ring. ''Vickie, Paul... I hate to say it, but I actually agree with what Kermit over here was saying.'' _

_Ignoring the look of contempt on The Miz's face at his new moniker, she took a step towards the pair._

_''You ARE both bottom feeders, and that's putting it nicely. Really, getting Lesnar to beat up people you don't like? Kind of pathetic, don't you think?''_

_Paul laughed in astonishment. ''You're doing the exact same thing with The Shield.''_

_''The Shield bring justice to those who deserve it. You just had Brock beat up an old man then try to do the same to me.'' She turned to The Miz. ''You want to know why they put me on their little 'Lesnar hit-list'?''_

_The man shrugged, gesturing for her to continue._

_''Well, Vickie's pretty easy... I just think she doesn't like me all that much.'' The older woman's contemptuous smile just confirmed her suspicions and Sierra just chuckled before continuing. ''And Paul... well, you said it yourself, Paul feeds on other people's success, and after Punk retained the WWE Championship at Survivor Series, __**I **__was suddenly the brains of the operation. He didn't like it and wanted me out-of-the-way so he could have Punk all to himself. You've got what you wanted, Paulrus, he's all yours. Looks like you've got two little bitches to 'advocate'... Good luck with-''_

_In a repeat of last week, Brock Lesnar's music blasted through the arena, sending the crowd into wild hysteria. Paul grabbed Vickie's arm and the pair quickly scrambled out of the ring, Sierra's eyes widening in fear as she watched The Beast make his way down the ramp. _

_The Miz positioned himself protectively in front of Sierra as Brock entered the ring; the two men having an intense stare down as Heyman stood on the apron, shouting for the man to stand down._

_Deciding to strike first, The Miz suddenly snapped forward and gave the other man a hard shove. He stumbled back slightly before coming back and running The Miz over with a big clothesline. Sierra watched on helplessly as he hoisted the man up by the back of his suit jacket before tossing him out of the ring._

_The crowds cheers increased when they realized this just left Brock and Sierra in the ring._

_Paul was begging him to stop but the man continued his slow advance across the ring; his attention focused solely on the Latina in front of him. Holding her hands up defensively, she backed up, only to find herself up against the turnbuckle with nowhere to go. _

_A few moments passed with him just staring at her with a small smirk and Sierra decided to try to make a run for it._

_Anticipating this, Brock stepped in front of her and bowed down, effortlessly lifting her up onto his shoulders._

_''Brock, NO!'' _

_Paul Heyman's head was in his hands, eyes wide as he watched The Beast deliver a powerful F-5 to the woman, leaving her lying motionless in the middle of the ring. _

_The arena was full of cheers and shouts of shock as Paul quickly entered the ring, hovering over Sierra with his arms outstretched to keep Brock at bay._

_''No more, she's sorry, she's sorry!'' He patted her on the arm. ''It's okay, it's okay.''_

_Raw went off the air to an image of a red-face, furious Brock Lesnar standing over the prone form of Sierra._

* * *

Alexa glanced around the gorilla position as she was assisted through the curtain, eyes scanning over the small crowd that was there. Vince was in his usual seat at the control station and she shot him a small smile and a thumbs up in response to his questioning glance.

There were a few other people scattered around the area but her attention shifted when she heard heavy footfalls approaching. She managed a small smile when she saw Jon jogging over towards her, still wearing his ring gear from his segment earlier.

''Make sure you head to the trainer's room before you leave, those ribs need to be checked out.'' Chris Amann told her as he slowly removed the arm that had supported her.

Alexa nodded and thanked him for his help before he headed down the hallways, smiling up at Jon as he came to a halt in front of her. ''That looked pretty rough, you alright?''

''Yeah, I'm fine.''

He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced at her declaration. ''I smell bullshit.'' Before she could respond, he reached out and lightly poked her ribs.

She instantly flinched away from his touch, her left arm wrapping protectively around her ribs as her right sprang out and punched him in the chest. ''Fucker! What was that for?''

''To prove a point.'' He told her, rubbing the spot where she had hit him. ''Jesus, Lex, that hurt.''

''You deserved it.''

''Come on, I'll take you to the trainer.''

She pouted up at him. ''I'm fine, they're probably just bruised.''

''Do I need to poke you again?''


	55. Chapter 55

**Wednesday 6th February**

''What the fuck...'' Jon grumbled as he woke up, finding his girlfriend sprawled across him.

One of her legs was wrapped around his and most of her weight was resting on his arm, resulting in the appendage becoming completely numb. Instead of attempting to escape her death-like grip on his body, he settled on watching her sleep.

Alexa's chest rose and fell in deep even breaths as the light streaming in through the window caressed her skin, giving her an eerie glow. Her face was bare and her hair ruffled; he thought she was at her sexiest when she was completely natural, not that she ever believed him when he told her.

He smiled as she mumbled in her sleep, her body shifting away from his slighty and he found himself able to move.

Stretching languidly, a smirk spread across his lips as an idea sprung into his head.

* * *

Alexa found herself woken up by the most pleasurable sensations, letting out a small whimper as she was dragged from her sleepy haze.

From his position between her thighs, Jon's eyes flickered up when he heard the sudden gasp that was exhaled from her lips. Smirking, he continued his idle assault, letting out a grunt as her fingers tangled in his hair. His tongue was rolling over the bundle of nerves, drawing the throbbing nub into his mouth and suckling in a way that had her core pulsing into life

''Jon...''

Her wanton moan made the man close his eyes, her hips bucking against him when he brought his fingers into the mix.

''Hmmm?''

The vibrations from his mouth had her eyes rolling back in her head, another moan escaping her as his weight shifted and he lifted his body over hers; his fingers continuing to tease her, leaving her hanging on the edge.

Feeling the rock-hard evidence of his arousal pressing against her, she reached down, curling her hand around him and squeezing. He sucked in a breath, ducking his head to graze his lips against hers.

She let out an annoyed whine as his fingers left her, Jon laughing softly against her lips.

Tangling her legs around his waist, she rested her heels in the dip just above his buttocks, trying to pull him closer. ''Stop teasing and fuck me!''

''You want it bad, huh?'' He drawled, his hand coming up to toy with her breast as his mouth claimed hers again.

She cried out, having no warning as his hips suddenly shot forward roughly, effectively burying himself inside her in one deep thrust. His eyes remained locked on hers as he gripped her legs behind the knees, lifting them up to get better leverage. He started off slow before picking up the pace, her hips meeting his with every thrust.

Her moans grew louder and, feeling her start to pulse around him, Jon reached down between them, his hand finding that sweet spot once more.

''Come on, sweetheart...''

She clawed his back in response, all it took was one more hard thrust as he pinched the sensitive nub between his fingers.

He swallowed her cries with his mouth, thrusting harder as she climaxed around him. Sucking her bottom lip into his mouth, he growled, his thrusts losing their rhythm as he pounded into her, burying his face in her neck.

''Fuck!''

They rode out their orgasms, slowing down until they were both spent; laying in a sweaty, tangled mess for what seemed like hours, neither having the energy or the desire to move.

''Babe...'' Her fingers ran through his damp hair as she mumbled against his neck. ''I hate to ruin the moment, but you're killing my ribs.''

After the F-5 she'd received Monday night, a visit to the trainer's office had confirmed her diagnosis; bruised ribs. She had been advised to take it easy for a couple of weeks to make sure she didn't cause any further damage, which would be easy since it was already planned for her to be off TV's until the pay-per-view. At Elimination Chamber, Sierra would debut her new look and start her official affiliation with The Shield.

''Shit, sorry.'' He quickly rolled away from her, propping himself up on his elbow and offering her a small, contented smile.

''What was all that?'' She quirked an eyebrow at him. ''Not that I'm complaining...''

''That.'' Jon grabbed her hand, pulling it towards his lips and planting a kiss on her palm. ''Was me making sure you're going to miss me.''

''I was already going to miss you.'' She told him softly. ''When do you fly out?''

''Tomorrow afternoon.''

Alexa nodded, her eyes following him as he slipped out of bed, pulling on the pair of boxers he had deposited on the floor the night before.

Spending two weeks in Florida without him was going to be strange considering they had spent the past few months attached at the hip. But it wasn't going to be for long, and he would be coming back on his days off.

''Are you checking me out?''

She grinned, watching as he headed towards the en suite; his boxers slung low on his hips and his hair ruffled.

''I can't help it, you have, like, a perfectly sculpted ass... it's the power of the Ambooty...''

''I hate it when you objectify me all the time.'' He paused for a moment, glancing at her curiously. ''What's an Ambooty?''

''I saw it on Twitter... it's what the fangirls call your ass.'' She snorted at his look of disdain.

''That makes me so glad I don't use mine anymore.''

* * *

_''As long as you love me, we could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke. As long as you love me, I'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold-''_

''Are you seriously singing along to Justin Bieber right now?''

''What? It's catchy.'' Colby responded defensively.

Alexa rose an eyebrow. ''I didn't even realize he made music anymore. I just thought he walked around, annoying the shit out of everyone.''

The two-toned man let out a soft chuckle before taking a swig of his beer, his eyes scanning the bar they had found themselves in. Along with Joe and Jon, who were over in the corner enjoying a game of pool, they had decided to head to a local Tampa bar for a few drinks before the men departed for the next set of dates.

As much time as the four of them spent together on the road, they all genuinely enjoyed one another's company outside of the ring. Obviously, the three men had been friends while down in FCW but after making their debut and spending practically every waking moment together since, they had already forged a strong bond.

''Hey, Colb? Can I ask you something?''

His eyebrows furrowed, taking in her serious expression with a small frown. ''Sure, what's up?''

''Were you pissed when you found out that I was going to be part of the whole Shield angle?''

''What do you mean?''

She shrugged, taking a quick sip of her drink. ''I know you were getting pretty frustrated with everything while you were down in FCW. You were working your ass off down there but getting nowhere. Then, when you finally got the call up with Jon and Joe, you get this awesome gimmick then get lumbered with a 'Diva'... must have been pretty frustrating.''

He looked incredulously at her. ''You honestly think that?''

Nodding her confirmation, she continued. ''After we had the argument about me working with Brock, it got me thinking and-''

''Let me stop you right there, you're completely wrong.'' He interjected. ''I told you, the only reason I got pissed about you working with Brock was because I'd heard a lot of bad shit about him and I was just worried about you, not because you're a _girl_.''

''You only heard bad stuff because Phil was trying to stir the pot.''

''Yeah, I know that _now._'' He rolled his eyes. ''And as for being 'lumbered' with you, that's bullshit. You're super talented, you know what it takes to be at the top and to stay there. You've been with the company for nine years, that's almost unheard of for a woman in this business. You're obviously doing something right and the three of us all know we're lucky to have you around.''

Alexa bowed her head, feeling her cheeks heat up at his kind words.

''Besides, it's not like you're a proper _girl _is it? You're more like a guy, just in a hot body.''

She gave a short bark of laughter before reaching across the table and slapping his arm. ''Colby!''

''What?!''

''You upsetting my girl, Lopez?'' Jon drawled as he dropped into the seat beside her, draping an arm across the back of her chair.

Alexa gave him a sideways glance as Joe took up the seat opposite them. ''He practically said I was a man.''

''I did not! I just meant that we-'' He gestured to himself and the man beside him. ''-see you as one of the guys. You're ballsier than a lot of dudes I know, you have the mouth of a trucker...''

Jon nodded proudly, meeting her eyes with a cheeky grin. ''Sometimes it's like looking in a mirror, only you have better tits.''

''...and, I didn't think it was possible, but sometimes I think you're an even bigger pervert than him.'' Colby continued.

Jon gasped mockingly, faking a look of shock as Colby pointed at him.

''Don't act all innocent, dude.'' Joe rose a dark brow. ''You forget, our hotel rooms are usually next to yours.''

Alexa should have been mortified; she could only imagine the kinds of things they could hear, especially in the cheaper places where the walls are paper-thin. But, thanks to the drinks she had consumed throughout the evening, she just found herself shrugging.

''Maybe you should start investing in room out of hearing range...'' She smirked. ''I find it extremely difficult to keep my vagina to myself when he's around.''

Colby let out a choked laugh as Joe, who had just taken a poorly timed gulp of his drink, snorted a mouthful of Corona out of his nose.

Jon guffawed in the seat next to her, giving his girlfriend an appreciative fist-bump. ''Yeah, I can't help it that I'm so irresistable.''


	56. Chapter 56

**Monday 11th Febuary**

_**SIERRA. HOTEL. INDIA. ECHO. LIMA. DELTA. SHIELD.**_

_''And we are back live on Monday Night Raw; thirteen thousand, six hundred and seven on hand in Nashville.''_

_''And, speaking of crazy ones.'' King interjected. ''I think these guys have got to be crazy to come out here right now!''_

_''Dean Ambrose. Seth Rollins. Roman Reigns. Making their way through the people. Heading to the ring, they will address the WWE Universe tonight.'' Michael added. ''What King was alluding to, is the fact that they have taken out half the WWE locker room in recent months, yet they're going to expose themselves here tonight!''_

* * *

Saraya snorted, glancing over to the other side of the room. ''Bet you wish a certain member would _expose _himself.''

Alexa rolled her eyes, flipping the giggling woman the bird. ''Real mature, 'Raya.''

They were joined by Danielle; the trio had made some food and drink before bunking down to watch the show in Alexa's living room, sprawling themselves over the couches.

They returned their attention to the screen just as 'Dean' picked up the microphone.

* * *

_''We are The Shield! And we stand united in this ring, with the sole purpose of shielding WWE from atrocities... Atrocities, like what happened to Sierra last week, courtesy of The Beast, Brock Lesnar... Brock, we promise you, your time for justice will come but first... we have to address the atrocities John Cena commits every day. Like tonight, John Cena THREATENED The Shield?!''_

_Seth stepped forward, raising his microphone. ''Sheamus, Ryback and John Cena, your heroes, think they're going to accomplish something by threatening The Shield? Well, in case you haven't noticed, when The Shield wants to deliver a message, we do it through ACTION!''_

_''You're threatening us? YOU are threatening The Shield?'' Roman asked incredulously. ''Let's make it very simple... If you want us, COME AND GET US!''_

_''Where you at? Come on!'' Seth challenged._

_''Typical. Empty threat, from an empty guy.'' Dean taunted. ''An empty threat from three, morally empty individuals.'' _

_''You couldn't get the job done last week with the whole roster.'' The Samoan's jaw clenched. ''You could bring the WHOLE world, and we would still be standing.'' _

_''You failed, John. You failed last week, you fail every day when you get up and EXIST! This Sunday, at Elimination Chamber, will be no different. At the hands of The Shield, John Cena, you will fail again.''_

_''That's right.'' Dean stated confidently, a cocky smirk on his face. ''He will fail. Because John Cena is a failure. That's why we don't like you, John. You're not just a superstar, you're a philosophy. It's not what you've done, it's what you fail to do. The example you FAIL to set. Every day, smiling the day away in your little bubble. See, in your world, there are no consequences; you can do or say whatever you want, no consequences. That's not the real world. That's not the world we live in. That's what we call, 'The John Cena Problem'.''_

_''He's the problem.'' Roman declared. ''He's been the problem for the past decade! We, THE SHIELD, are the solution.''_

_''You see, John. Whether it was your intention or not, the standard you set paved the way for the Sheamus' and the Ryback's of the world. You laid the groudwork, John! For an entire generation to believe in the system! To believe in you, John! The Sunday, we have an opportunity to rectify a decade of injustice... in one fell swoop...''_

_Dean nodded. ''This Sunday, we walk in together, we walk out together. You three, might not walk out at all. I suggest you three breathe as much fresh air as you can now, because on Sunday, The Shield is going to drown you! Believe THAT!''_

* * *

A smile involuntarily curled at Alexa's lips as she watched her boyfriend deliver his promo; the man staring straight into the camera, his face contorted with fury as a maniacal grunt escaped his lips.

Danielle screwed up her nose, shooting her a teasing look. ''I can practically smell your arousal.''

''Dani!'' Alexa grabbed the cushion from behind her before swinging it towards the blonde.

_''BELIEVE IN THE SHIELD.'' Roman bellowed._

They watched as the trio men received a well deserved beating, courtesy of the three men they had just called out, before Raw cut to another commercial.

_'_'So, when are you booked to go back?'' Danielle asked curiously.

'''I'll be at the pay-per-view.'' She responded, grabbing her cell phone from the arm rest. ''It'll be my first night as an official 'Shield' member.''

''Does that mean you get to wear your new gear?'' Saraya squealed excitedly at the womans nod, before demanding. ''Show Dani the pictures!''

Scrolling through her photo album, Alexa finally found the ones from the shoot she did with the guys a few weeks ago and handed her phone over to the blonde.

''Oh, wow...'' Danielle mumbled as she flicked through them. ''Looks like Joe's been replaced as the hottest member of The Shield.''

''Joe?'' Saraya questioned dubiously. ''Really?''

''It's the hair.''

* * *

**Tuesday 12th Febuary**

''So, what have you been up to?''

_''Oh, you know, the usual... keeping out of trouble... I stayed with Jess and the kids for a few days... how's Arkansas?''_

''Well, you're in Tampa, so...''

_''Uh, that doesn't answer the question...''_

''Yes, it does.''

Jon missed Alexa.

Not in a heartbreaking, "I'm going to die without her" kind of way, but more like a "It's uncomfortable, weird, and incomplete without her" kind of way. He knew that there were going to be times when they were apart and it wasn't like he _had _to have her by his side 24/7; he just didn't like her absence.

_''I miss you too.''_

The corners of his lips turned upwards. ''I'll be back before you know it.''

_''Can't wait... I think you should help a girl out, send me some sexy naked photo's to keep me occupied for another few days.''_

''Funny, I was just about to suggest the same thing.''

_''I'll show you mine if you show me yours.''_

He let out a small groan feeling his pants start to tighten. ''You're a sex pest.''

_''I can't help it, I'm always horny for you... well, mostly for you... like, ninety-eight percent for you, two percent for food.''_

A snort escaped his lips, knowing how true that was. The woman had an appetite to rival anyone he'd ever met, it was one of the things he loved about her.

''We need to change to subject, we're up soon and I can't go out there like this...'' He grunted, shifting to cover the growing hardness.

_''Want to hear about the dream I had last night?''_

''Depends, were you naked in it?''

_''Sadly, no, it wasn't one of those dreams. I was__ working at Starbucks and Steve Rogers came in-''_

''Who?''

_''Steve Rogers. You know, Captain America? Anyway, he ordered an Iced Americano and I said, 'one Iced Americano for the Iced Americano,' and then I woke myself up by laughing too hard at my own joke and... you don't get it, do you?''_

''Not in the slightest...''

_''I really need to find myself a boyfriend who realizes that he's dating a comedic demigod.''_

''Haha.'' He muttered drolly, glancing towards the doorway as Joe and Colby appeared. ''Uh, I've got to go, we're up.''

_''Okay, have fun, give me a call later if you have time.''_

''Will do gorgeous.''

_''I love you.''_

Jon rolled his eyes at the two-toned man who was puckering his lips mockingly at him, muttering an, ''I love you too,'' before hanging up.

* * *

_**I know you're all weird with me at the moment, but I need to ask you something important that me and Polinski can't seem to agree on?**_

_Shoot. _

_**Okay, how big do you think the Hulk's dick is? Like, do you think it's proportionate to his body?**_

Phil stared down at the text he had just received from Alexa, an amused smirk on his face and a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach which he quickly squashed.

_I honestly have never thought about it, until now... _

_**And? What's the verdict?**_

_I would assume it would be in proportion to the rest of his body. An image which I now can't get out of my head, so thank you._

_**My pleasure :)**_

His head snapped up from the screen when he felt a hard prod to his shoulder. ''Huh? What?''

Scott rolled his eyes, an exasperated sigh leaving his lips. ''What the hell is going on with you? I've been talking to you but you've just been grinning down at your phone like a little school girl.''

''I have not.'' Phil shot him a glare. ''And nothing's going on with me.''

''I'm willing to put money on the fact that 'nothing' actually means 'Lex'...'' The man raised an eyebrow, a triumphant smirk appearing on his face when his friend said nothing to refute his assumption. ''What's going on? You acted like a douche but I thought you said you were going to apologize to her?''

''I did... sort of.''

Scott scoffed. ''How? You either did or you didn't?''

''It's complicated.'' He sighed, avoiding the other man's worried gaze. ''Can we drop it? Please?''

''No.'' He snorted, shifting in his chair to move closer. ''Colour me intrigued.''

Phil groaned, running a hand over his head as he had an internal debate over whether or not to confide in his best friend.

He took a deep breath before blurting out; ''IthinkIhavefeelingsforLex.''

Scott blinked at him a few times before chuckling. ''I'm sorry, I must have mis-heard you because I swear I just heard you say you have feelings for _Lex_?''

''No.'' He exhaled, reluctantly meeting the other man's eyes. ''You heard right.''

''How long has this been going on?''

''Since we started the whole romantic angle I think, I don't know... maybe even before that...''

For the past several months he had felt the stirrings of something, but it wasn't until their argument a few weeks before that he had come to the startling realization that he had developed feelings for his longtime friend.

His love life was well documented and he was no stranger to workplace romances, but Alexa had always been the one woman who he had never been like that with. Their friendship was way too important for him to even entertain the thought of something more.

Until now.

''Holy fucking shit, dude...'' Scott frowned. ''Is this why you and Amy broke up?''

''No, we agreed we both wanted different things. She wants to settle down, I'm not ready for that yet.''

Nodding slowly, he eyed the other man cautiously. ''So... what are you going to do?''

''I have no idea... maybe I should tell her, maybe-''

''Okay, then what? You live happily ever after? Don't be so stupid, she's with Jon, Phil.''

''I know-''

''Here's my advice; stay away from her for a while, if she asks me I'll say you're just coming to terms with the break-up with Amy.'' He suggested. ''Some time away from her with get this whole thing out of your system.''

''But-''

''No buts, Phil. She _loves _Jon.'' Scott cut him off again, a stern look appearing on his face. ''She's finally fucking happy for the first time in a long time. Don't mess that up for her.''

''Yeah... yeah, you're right.''

He gave his friend a firm pat on the back. ''Of course I am.''


	57. Chapter 57

**Wednesday 13th February**

_ WWERollins: Be a part of something real. #believeintheshield WWE #RAW_

Sitting in her car outside the University, Alexa smiled after reading Colby's tweet and seeing the attached image of The Shield's new shirt, which had just been made available to buy online.

Coincidentally, she had on the same shirt.

Along with Jon, Joe and Colby, she had been given several of them to wear and promote. She turned on the camera and quickly snapped a selfie, making sure she got in her upper body, before replying to his tweet.

_ RealSierra: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere #believeintheshield_

She shoved her phone back into her handbag and stepped out of the car, smoothing down her shirt before making her way over to the entrance.

After stopping and signing some autographs and taking some photos with a few fans, she finally made it inside Full Sail; a pair of strong arms wrapping around her waist and hoisting her into the air almost as soon as she stepped inside the building.

''Matt!'' She shrieked as she swung her around. ''Put me down, fucker!''

The tattooed man dropped her onto her feet and she let out a small huff, pulling down her shirt which had ridden up thanks to his manhandling of her.

He laughed. ''Didn't think you were going to make it.''

''Yeah, well, it takes time to look this good.''

He rose a brow, eyes running up and down her body appreciatively. ''Can't argue with that.''

''Ah, this must be the famous Lex I keep hearing about.''

Alexa turned to see a tall, ginger man standing there with a friendly smile on his face, finding him vaguely familiar. ''Good things, I hope?''

''Of course.''

Matt stepped forward. ''Lex, this Rami Sebei, or El Generico. He hasn't picked a new ring name yet.'' He turned to the other man. ''Ram, this is-''

''Alexa Torres, or Sierra, as she's better known.'' The man finished with a grin, extending his hand. ''I know, we've met before, albeit fleetingly.''

She accepted his hand, her face scrunching up in confusion. ''We have?''

Matt let out a loud snort. ''Well, you obviously made a lasting impression...''

Rami slapped a hand over his heart, feigning hurt. ''You don't remember meeting me?''

''... Sorry.''

''It was at a Ring of Honor show in New York, 2010, I think. I was teaming with Cabana against Kevin Steen and Steve Corino... you were out with your neck injury and you were visiting Colt, he was annoyed because-''

''Because I was too busy catching up with Shelton and Charlie to pay him any attention!'' She finished with a smile. ''I remember now, I think it was September eleventh, because we did the whole two minutes silence thing before the event.''

''That's right.'' Rami nodded. ''I think Colby had his last match that night, it was right before he reported to developmental.''

''Colby was there too?'' She exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. ''Man, it's a small world, huh?''

''You coming out with us tonight, Lex?'' Matt questioned. ''Saraya did ask you, right?''

''I'm not sure, maybe, it depends what time Jon's flight gets in.''

''He's a big boy, I'm sure he can get a ride with Colby or Joe.'' Matt pouted and dropped down to his knees, wrapping his arms around her waist before pleading. ''Please? We've missed you.''

Rami laughed as the man bat his eyelashes up at Alexa, the woman rolling her eyes; knowing he wouldn't give up until she agreed.

She huffed. ''You know I can't resist the puppy eyes...''

After making some arrangements with Matt and Rami, she left the pair, the former wandering off to find Kevin Kiley to go over their match for the NXT taping later that night. She was on her way to the women's locker room to find Danielle and Saraya, when she ran into a familiar face that made her own light up in a beaming smile.

''Darren!''

She wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his around her waist to lift her gently from the floor. They stayed that way for a moment before he released her and stepped back, regarding her with a fond smile.

''It's good to see you, Alexandra, it's been far too long.'' He placed a hand on her shoulder, starting to steer her over to a room just down the hallway. ''Come on, let's grab a cuppa.''

''So, how are things with you and young Jonathan?''

She smiled over the rim of the cup, blowing down on the hot liquid. ''They're good, thank you.''

''You know, I had an inkling there was something going on between the pair of you.'' Darren narrowed his eyes at her playfully. ''But you insisted you were just friends.''

''That was before we were actually _together_, we were just... uh...''

''I think I understand, no need to go into any detail, pet.'' He held his hand up, letting out an awkward laugh.

''Sorry.'' Alexa let out a soft snort before sipping her tea. ''But, he's great, I've never really felt like this before, not even with Randy. It's like... do you ever just want to sit next to someone and listen to everything they could possibly say about anything ever just because you like their face and their voice and their general existence?''

He smiled. ''I'm glad you're happy, I really am. The difference in you now compared to when you first moved to Florida, is immense.''

She lowered her head. ''I'm sorry you had to deal with me like that, I was... when I'm hurt, I kind of shut down and turn into a total sarcastic bitch. I shut off my emotions, and act indifferent towards everything to hide the fact that it's killing me inside.''

He leaned over the table, placing his hand on top of hers. ''You have absolutely nothing to apologize for, flower.''

She shook her head. ''No, no, I do. I was awful when I first came here, but for some reason, you still stuck with me. Honestly, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be where I am today.''

''Don't be silly, you did this all yourself.'' A faint blush warmed the man's cheeks.

''You were the one who persuaded me to start making friends here, if I hadn't, then I never would have got my confidence back.'' She told him softly. ''I never would have managed to get back in that ring. I never would have found Jon... it's all because of you. So, thank you.''

The Englishman lifted his head to meet her gaze and Alexa was taken aback to find his eyes clouded with tears. She got to her feet and moved around the table to perch in the chair beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

''I didn't mean to make you cry...''

''Sorry, ignore me.'' He croaked, sending her a small smile as his arm moved up to mimic hers. ''I'm just being a soppy old git.''

''I mean it though, I owe you a lot.''

''Just seeing you back in that ring is payment enough, young lady... I don't think I've ever met anyone who was made to do this more than you. If you were my daughter I would be so, so proud of you. I bet your old man is watching down on you, pleased as punch...''

* * *

''Oh my God, Lex, ew, that's disgusting!''

''What?'' She cried around the tortilla chip she had just shoved into her mouth, eyeing the British woman defensively. ''Why is it that people can have other people's genitals in their mouths but as soon as I eat a Dorito off the floor, I'm dirty?''

Matt let out a snort from beside her, shaking his head in amusement. ''Oh, I've missed you, Lex.''

''She's right, pet, that's mingin'.'' Benjamin scrunched up his nose in disgust.

Alexa's brows furrowed in confusion and she glanced at Matt, mouthing 'Minging?' in question, the man shrugging in response.

''It means you're a dirty bitch!'' Saraya declared loudly, clinking her glass with her fellow Brit.

''Aye, what she said.''

''You're just jealous because my DeltaWave is better than your _lame _Red Arrow.''

''Yeah, keep dreaming love.'' Ben scoffed, raising his glass to his lips.

She gasped in mock outrage and turned to Matt, pouting. ''Mines better, right?''

''They're both equally as awesome.''

''As my fellow Countryman, you're supposed to take my side.'' Alexa told him haughtily.

''Aren't you Mexican?'' Saraya interjected with a snort.

''_Mexican Canadian._'' She corrected. ''But that's besides the point. You're supposed to have my back, bro!''

''Fine, yours is the best, ever!'' He told her, dramatically flailing his arms in the air as he spoke. ''Happy?''

She nodded, poking her tongue out at Ben childishly.

''Come on, let's finish up our drinks and meet up with the others.'' Saraya demanded, quickly downing her vodka and coke. ''I think they're at the karaoke bar.''

* * *

_''There ain't no mountain high enough. Ain't no valley low enough. Ain't no river wide enough. To keep me from getting to you.''_

Half an hour later, Alexa was found up on stage at the karaoke bar with Bill 'Colin Cassady' Morrissey, belting out Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's hit song, their raucous group of friends cheering them on while snapping some photos.

The song soon come to a close and the pair laughed as Danielle and Tenille practically shoved them off the stage, their song of choice being 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' by Def Leppard.

''You've got an awesome voice, Billy!'' Alexa gushed, linking her arm through his as they pushed through the crowd.

''Thanks. And I told you, stop calling me Billy.''

She just giggled, slipping her arm from his as they reached their friends and moving over to the table to pick up her drink.

''Ready to get this party started?'' Matt turned to smirk at her.

Her eyes dropped down to the table where a long line of shots were waiting and a small groan escaped her.

''I don't know, Matt, I'm already feeling pretty buzzed. Jon will kill me if he comes back and I'm completely out of it.''

''Nah, he'll be fine.'' He assured her. ''Come on, live a little.''

''Urgh, fine.''

* * *

''I just want my bed, dude.''

''We'll be in and out, five minutes, tops.''

''That's what she said.''

Jon snorted, rolling his eyes at his companions they entered the bar; Joe behind him and Colby bringing up the rear. Their flight had landed a little while ago and after receiving several nonsensical messages from his girlfriend, he had called Bill to see what was going on.

There was a large stage set up in the corner of the bar area and he chuckled when he spotted Alexa clambering over to the microphone with Saraya.

She looked just as beautiful as ever; dressed casually in a pair of denim cut off shorts, her Converse and one of her old Guns 'N Roses tank tops. She grabbed the microphone with one hand, the other had a firm hold on a bottle of Corona.

''Oh, Jesus...'' Colby choked out a laugh, recognizing the music that had just started and quickly whipping his phone out to record the women. ''This is going to be _awesome_.''

_**''This one is for the boys with the booming system, top down, AC with the cooling system. When he come up in the club, he be blazin' up, got stacks on deck like he savin' up. And he ill, he real, he might got a deal. He pop bottles and he got the right kind of bill. He cold, he dope, he might sell coke. He always in the air, but he never fly coach. He a motherfucking trip, trip, sailor of the ship, ship. When he make it drip, drip kiss him on the lip, lip. That's the kind of dude I was lookin' for, and yes you'll get slapped if you're lookin' hoe-'' **_

Jon's eyebrows shot into his hairline as he watched her sing out the first part of the song, turning to look at Joe, who had a similar look of shock on his face. She was rapping along with the music in perfect timing, not an easy feat, especially considering how drunk she obviously was.

Saraya started on the chorus, her English accent making the whole thing even funnier to Colby, who was in stitches as he recorded.

_**''This one is for the boys in the polos, entrepreneur niggas &amp; the moguls. He could ball with the crew, he could solo, but I think I like him better when he dolo. And I think I like him better with the fitted cap on, he ain't even gotta try to put the mack on. He just gotta give me that look, when he give me that look, then the panties comin' off, off, uh-''**_

''She's full of surprises, huh?''

Jon let out a chuckle, nodding at the Samoan. ''She sure is.''

The two women quickly became a crowd favourite and he could see a lot of people, obviously wrestling fans, holding their phones up to take some photos; he could only imagine they would be flying around the internet by morning.

The pair jumped down from the stage and headed toward a table; Jon started to wade through the crowd, leading his friends in the same direction.

''I think someone's here to see you.'' Saraya slurred into her friend's ear.

Alexa turned to see what she was talking about, a smile lighting up her face when she caught sight of Jon's approaching figure. She bounced past the British woman and jumped into his arms; hooking her legs around his waist as she sloppily captured his lips.

''Urgh.'' Saraya grumbled, her lip curling in distaste as she watched the pair.

Jon chuckled against her lips, his arms moving down under her thighs to make sure she wouldn't fall. She pulled back and his blue eyes danced with hers before he set her back down on her feet, his hands pulling her body into his for a tight hug.

She let out a sigh of contentment, closing her eyes as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. ''Missed you.''

''Me too, sweetheart.'' He replied, pulling back and smiling down at her.

''I- Cruella!'' She yelled, spotting Colby over the top of Jon's shoulder.

The man laughed, opening his arms as she ran towards him, barreling into him with a soft grunt. ''Hey, Lexie.''

''What am I, chopped liver?'' Joe piped up from beside him.

''I'm her favourite, dude, what can I say?''

Alexa untangled her arms from the Iowan and wrapped them around the tall man beside him. ''Sorry, Fabio, you know I've missed you too.'' Standing up on her tiptoes, she leaned in close to his ear. ''Shh, don't tell anyone, but he's not my favourite, Jon is.''

The man snorted, pulling back and arching a brow at her. ''I think everyone already knows that, baby girl.''

''They do?'' She asked, her brow knitting together in confusion.

''We do.'' Colby confirmed, laughing at the expression on her face.

''Oh... but you guys know I love you too, right?'' She reached out and looped an arm around Colby's man's neck, pulling him towards her and Joe for a group hug. ''You give me a boner. Not, like, a penis boner, but a boner in my heart... a heart on... an affection erection...''

The two men dissolved into laughter as Jon chuckled, watching in amusement. ''You are very, very drunk...''

Her eye flicked up to meet his, a pout forming on her lips. ''I am not.''

''Oh, she's wasted.'' Saraya interjected with a soft snort. ''It's Matt's fault, he challenged her to a drinking contest.''

Joe shook his head with a wry chuckle. ''That's never good.''

''Did you win?'' Colby asked, glancing down at her.

She let out a scoff as she moved out from between the two men, stumbling over to her boyfriend; leaning into him as she felt the weight of his arm drop over her shoulder.

''Of course I did.''


	58. Chapter 58

**Just a short one this time, just had my wisdom teeth taken out so I'm not really in the mood for writing :( Thanks to everyone who had reviewed so far, I'll try and update as soon as I'm feeling better.**

* * *

**Thursday 14th February**

Alexa woke up feeling worse than she had in a long time.

She couldn't remember much of what had happened the night before, let alone how she even made it home and to her own bed. Her head was pounding and she let out a whimper, burying her face deeper into the pillow.

''Morning, sweetcheeks.''

Creaking one eye open, she was greeted by the grinning face of Jon, and she found herself wondering how she hadn't noticed the man laying beside her in the bed.

''I feel like I'm dying.'' She groaned dramatically.

Jon chuckled, reaching across to sweep the hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear. ''I'm hardly surprised, you were wasted last night.''

''You were there?''

He nodded. ''So was Joe and Colby.''

''Urgh... I don't remember anything after doing the shots with Matt... that fucker.''

''It's okay, Colby caught the good stuff on camera.''

Alexa opened her eyes, watching as he leaned over to the bedside table to grab his phone. Once he found what he was looking for, he laughed before thrusting it in front of her face. She blinked a few times to focus on the screen, a look of horror crossing her face when she realised she was watching herself rapping along to Nicki Minaj; something she usually only did in the shower.

''Please, tell me you're the only one he sent that to?''

''...''

''I am going to kill him.''

''To be fair to him, he only sent it to a few people on the roster. I think there must have been some fans at the bar who filmed it too, apparently it's all over the internet.''

''Where's my phone?''

He shuffled off the bed, moving over to the corner of the room where she had haphazardly thrown her jacket, pulling her cell from the pocket. ''It's been going off all morning, that's what woke me up.''

''Thanks.'' She took it from his hand and qucikly unlocked it, finding numerous texts from her co-workers and a Twitter feed overrun with mentions. ''Man, Carrano's going to tear me a new one.''

''Why would he?''

''Well, it wasn't exactly 'PG' was it?'' She replied, dumping her phone beside her on the bed.

Shrugging, he reached over and wrapped an arm around her, moving her body closer to his. ''Who gives a shit, you're allowed to have fun, you know?''

She murmured a response before pressing a kiss to Jon's bare chest. ''I'm going to go wash up, then I plan on staying in bed all day.''

A mischievous smirk spread across his lips. ''I'm cool with that, I think we can find some ways to entertain ourselves.''

Alexa eased off the bed with a roll of her eyes, slowly padding across the floor to her en-suite bathroom. She was already starting to feel a lot better after washing her face and brushing her teeth and decided a shower could only help. She slowly stripped off her pyjamas, letting out a soft snort as the vague memory of Jon trying to dress her drunken self ran through her mind.

Kicking her clothes under the sink, she stepped over to the shower and yanked back the curtain; a startled scream escaping her lips a moment later. The sound echoed in her ears and she reached up a hand to rub her aching head just as Jon appeared in the doorway.

''What? What's wrong?''

She jerked her thumb towards the bath, where Mat's prone form was crammed into the empty tub; one leg draped over the edge, his usually immaculate hair sticking up everywhere while he cradled an empty bottle of vodka.

The initial panic washed off his face and he chortled. ''Oh, yeah, I forgot he was in here.''

''He looks so cute...'' She smirked before leaning across and switched the shower on, the stream of water bursting out of the head onto the man below.

Matt shot up immediately, squealing as he jumped out of the tub faster than the pair expected of a man in his state. He leaned back to turn the water off before looking over and glaring at them.

''I hate you.'' He croaked, his blood-shot eyes dropping down briefly before he lifted a hand to cover his eyes. ''Jesus, could you put some clothes on or something?''

Alexa glanced down, all of a sudden remembering that she had been about to get in the shower and was only wearing her bra and pyjama shorts. ''I wear less in the ring.''

''Yeah, but you're like a sister to me, it's gross.''

''I'm flattered but also slightly offended...''

* * *

**Saturday 16th February**

_ WWEAJLee: The Shield was on my flight. I wish they would smile once in a while. I wish they would just take off their shirts and smile once in a while._

Alexa snorted into her mug, the man sitting across from her giving her a curious look.

''What?'' Colby asked.

''Just April being a perv.''

''Make a change, it's usually you.''

She flipped him the bird and set about replying to her friends Tweet, hoping to kill some time. They had just arrived in New Orleans and were sitting in a coffee shop inside the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Jon and Joe had been with them but the airport had somehow lost both men's bags, so while they were waiting for someone to help them, Alexa and Colby had found somewhere to sit while they waited.

_ RealSierra: You can't have them all... besides, I already have dibs on Ambrose._

_ WWEAJLee: Well, I guess I'll have to choose between Rollins and Reigns. _

_ RealSierra: Don't you have a boyfriend? _

_ HEELZiggler: YEAH babe, don't you have a boyfriend?!_

_ WWEAJLee: ..._

''You do realize that's going to start up a ton of rumours about you and Jon?''

She glanced across the table, finding the Iowan staring down at his phone. ''So? Remember last week, when I went with Joe to the gym? Someone took a photo and posted it on Twitter, asking me if we were banging.''

''That's ridiculous.''

''I know. The point is, people are going to form their own opinions, no matter what.'' She placed her phone on the table and took a sip of her coffee. ''They can say what they want, I don't give a shit.''

''It doesn't get to you?'' He cocked a brow. ''I mean, when you with Randy I can only imagine the kind of stuff people were saying about it.''

''Oh God, you don't even know the half of it. I had death threats when people first found out we were dating, then when he had all his issues with drugs people pointed the finger at me, saying that it was my fault and that I should have helped. I got accused of cheating on him with John and Phil... I think there were ever some rumours that I was screwing around with Paul, and that was why I was in such a good position in the company. Oh, and my personal favourite; when I broke my neck, some people were saying I did it on purpose so Randy would feel guilty and I could get him back. ''

Colby didn't even bother to contain the snort that escaped his mouth. ''Oh, God.''

''So, yeah, it used to get to me... but you eventually learn to just ignore the rumours.''

They spent the next hour or so chatting before Jon and Joe finally appeared with their bags, both men visibly pissed off.

''Come on.'' Jon jerked his head to the side. ''Lets get the fuck out of here.''

* * *

''Killer, you want to wake up? My shoulder's going numb.''

Alexa slowly lifted her head off Colby's shoulder and looked around, realizing they had finally arrived at the hotel. She gave him an impish grin as she stretched out her body.

''Thanks for the pillow.'' She said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

He glanced at her then down at his shoulder before freaking out. ''Were you drooling?!''

Alexa snorted and shook her head. "No! I was just messing with you!"

The man narrowed his eyes at her before they dropped down again, searching for any signs of saliva.

''I thought we'd never get here.'' She groaned as she stepped out of the car and started stretching out her legs. ''Next time, I'm driving.''

Jon cocked an eyebrow at her as he climbed out of the driver's seat. ''What's wrong with my driving?''

''I hate to break it to you, guapo, but you drive like a soccer mom.''

''She's right, dude.'' Colby let out a snort before glancing at her. ''_Guapo?_ What is that, Spanish? You speak Spanish?''

''Yes, Colb, I speak Spanish. How did you not know that?''

Jon gave her a pointed look. ''At least I don't drive like I'm playing Grand Theft Auto.''

''Will you guys give it a rest.'' Joe drawled as he got out of the passenger side. ''You're giving me a headache.''

''Sorry, man.''


	59. Chapter 59

**Sunday 17th February**

''... so I'll come find you guys after my meeting with Mark, and then we can go over the entrance for tonight?''

The three men nodded in agreement as they approached catering, Joe stepping forward to hold the door open for Alexa to step through first, the woman shooting him a smile of thanks as she walked past him. As soon as she stepped foot into the room, someone started blasting 'Super Bass' from their phone, the music echoing through the small room.

The trio behind her started laughing and Alexa turned to face Ettore, raising her eyebrows in disapproval as April and Celeste started to sing in unison.

_''Can't you hear that boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass? You got that super bass. Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass. Yeah, that's the super bass.''_

''I hate you both.'' She told them, trying to suppress a smile as their singing continued and she turned to Colby. ''But not as much as I hate you.''

The man chuckled, raising his hands defensively. ''Not my fault you channel your inner rapper when you're drunk.''

She pulled her phone from the back pocket of her jeans, a mischievous smirk on her lips. ''Hey, you remember when _we _went out to karaoke?''

Colby's eyes furrowed in confusion for a moment before widening in trepidation. ''You haven't?''

_''Oh my God, Becky, look at her butt!''_

Joe and Jon laughed harder as their stable mate's high-pitched, valley girl imitation came through the speakers of her phone.

''Turn it off!'' Colby hissed, darting forward to try to grab it.

Laughing, she ducked out of his way and hid behind the two men. ''I think you two need to Shield me from injustice.''

Joe snorted, shaking his head as he stepped aside. ''That was lame, baby girl.''

Alexa didn't have time to respond, spotting Colby about to lunge towards her again. She sprinted across the room to the door, only to find herself thrown back when she ran into a hard chest, leaving her sprawling on the floor.

''What the hell?!''

She looked up to see the angry face of the man she had bumped into, finding Phil glowering down at her, his Pepsi all over his shirt.

''Shit.'' She quickly clambered to her feet. ''Sorry, I-''

''Save it.'' He spat, taking a step back as he ran a hand over his drenched shirt. ''This isn't a fucking playground, stop running around like children.''

Alexa watched open-mouthed as her old friend stormed from the room, turning when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

''You alright?'' Colby asked.

''Yeah.'' She mumbled softly. ''Yeah, I'm fine.''

* * *

''Alright, so let's get to it. The first thing I wanted to talk to you about, was your new t-shirt.'' Mark Carrano reached down to grab two packages from the floor under the table, handing them both over to the woman in front of him. ''Now, the art department have drawn up two designs...''

Alexa zoned out as she ripped open the plastic wrapping, pulling out one of the shirts and holding it out in front of her.

It was black and the back had a similar version of the design on the guys new shirt; but instead of 'The Shield' written across the large shield, it had SIERRA printed in the same font that was used in the group's entrance video.

Smiling, she turned it around to see the front and was greeted by a black and white image of herself in her Shield gear. She was staring straight ahead with a smirk and her hands on her hips; a poster edge effect had been added to her photo during editing, giving it a comic book kind of feel. Outlined behind her were the imposing silhouettes of Roman, Seth and Dean.

''This is awesome!'' Alexa gushed, grinning across at the man in front of her.

Mark laughed. ''Look at the other one.''

Doing as he said, she quickly unwrapped the other shirt and opened it up, letting out a soft snort when her eyes saw the image on the front. ''Is this what you meant a few weeks ago, after that radio interview, when you said they had some ideas for a t-shirt?''

''It was.''

Someone had taken her 'goddess' comment to heart and had come up with the most ridiculous t-shirt design she had ever seen. On the front of the shirt there was an image of her standing in the middle of the ring in a pose identical to the one depicted in the painting by Sandro Botticelli, 'The Birth of Venus'. The only difference was that 'Sierra' was wearing clothes.

''I think I'll go with The Shield one.'' She decided, folding them both up and putting them in her lap. ''The other one's just weird.''

''Noted.'' He smirked, leaning his forearms on the table. ''Okay, so, as you know a few days ago we started a month-long training program for some women that we think could be good assets here in the WWE.''

''Like the Diva Search?''

''Sort of. We hope to potentially sign a few new Divas, depending on their performance over the coming month. Following that, we're going to start filming a new reality show. Total Divas. It's going to give fans the opportunity to get an inside look of the lives of WWE Divas, from their work within WWE to their personal lives.''

Her eyebrows shot up but she kept her mouth shut, deciding to let the man continue.

''So, the cast for the show is pretty much set. Nikki and Brie are coming back soon, this whole thing was actually their idea, we just ran with it. Arianne, Trinity and Nattie are taking part too, and we're thinking of using two of the new developmental Divas.''

''Okay... what does this have to do with me?''

''Well, you've been with the company a long time and you're one of the most popular Divas on the roster. The people at corporate and the producers over at E! have expressed their interest in having you appear on the show too.''

''Are you serious?'' She asked incredulously.

''They think it'll boost ratings and generate more of a buzz if someone more... _well-known_, was involved in the project.''

Alexa chewed her lip thoughtfully for a few moments, thinking of the best way to phrase her response. ''Uh... look, I appreciate the offer and all and it's really flattering that people want me on it, but I'm going to have to say no. Sorry.''

''Any particular reason why?''

''I don't want people to know every aspect of my personal life and doing this would just take what little privacy I do have, and completely destroy it. And besides, I don't think I can think of anything worse than being followed around by cameras all day. I'd be constantly watching what I say, you know I struggle sometimes with that brain to mouth filter.''

Mark let out a small chuckle. ''Okay, that's fine. We're not going to force you to do something you don't want to.''

''That's it?''

"That's it.'' He confirmed with a nod. ''You're free to go... you can keep the shirts, if you like?"

Smiling, Alexa rose to her feet, tucking them under her arm and stepping towards the door. She was just about to turn the handle, when the man spoke again, his voice laced with amusement.

''Oh, and Alexa?''

''Hmm?''

''Loved your karaoke... I didn't know you could rap.''

* * *

''I really can't imagine you on a reality show.''

''Why not?'' Alexa asked, indignantly crossing her arms over her chest.

Jon arched an eyebrow. ''You literally spew profanities... they'd have to censor everything you say.''

''I do not _spew profanities_. I enunciate them clearly, like a fucking lady.''

The three men chuckled as they led her up through the stands, making their way up to where they usually made their entrance from.

''So, you just said no?'' Colby asked, glancing back at her. ''You're not even going to think about it?''

''Nope. There is no way I'm letting them follow me around with their cameras, making me cause petty drama for fucking ratings. It's funny, back in 2007, Maria pitched the idea of a Diva's reality show to Stephanie but got shot down.''

''Would you have done it back then?'' Joe questioned as they reached the top-tier. ''You know, if it had got the go ahead?''

''Maybe...'' Alexa shrugged, smirking up at them. ''Though, I don't think half of the stuff me and Mickie got up to would be fit for broadcast.''

''That sounds like a story for another time.'' Jon smirked before clapping his hands together in enthusiasm. ''You ready to go over the entrance?''

She bit her lip, eyes nervous as she glanced down the steps she had to descend to get to the ring. It didn't look that bad now, but she knew it would be a lot different when there were hordes of fans either side of the aisle.

''Yeah, I guess... I don't know how you guys do it, being so close to the fans with hardly any security...''

It was one thing for the three of them to go down through the crowd; there were people who reached out and gave them a pat on the back as they passed, but it was a whole different story now she was with them. She was a little worried that there would be some assholes that wouldn't be able to pass up an opportunity to try to cop a feel.

Jon cocked his head to the side, studying her for a few moments. ''Usually we split up; two down one side and one on the other. We spoke to the security guys earlier and they said that tonight we should all go down together, as a group. We figured it's probably better, you know, just in case some drunk asshole tries to grab you or something.''

Joe dropped down a step so he was on her level, wrapping a burly arm around her shoulder. ''God help anyone that tries to touch you.''

''Me and Jon will go first.'' Colby told her. ''You stick close to us and Joe will be right behind you. We've got you back.''

All her worries vanished instantly and she smiled, feeling a sudden surge of warmth at their protectiveness.

They quartet started to make their way down the steps, Colby moving off to the side to start frantically patting her arm. ''This is what happens _all _the time.''

''And there's, like, no cool way to walk down the steps.'' Jon informed her, making small, clipped movements downwards. ''It's like, this kind of shit.''

''Yeah, and it's usually easier if there's a rail.'' Joe added.

''Noted.''

They reached the barricade; Colby did his usual ninja roll over the top, Jon eased himself over as gracefully as he usually did and Alexa snorted when she saw Joe push himself over with the help of a crate that had been set-up ready for the show.

''Need help, sweetheart?''

''Leave her alone, man.'' Joe admonished lightly.

Alexa just rolled her eyes as she stepped closer to the barricade, which reached just above her hips, firmly planted her hands onto the soft material and effortlessly pushed myself up, swinging her legs to the side before landing on the other side in front of the trio.

Jon laughed, nudging the Samoan beside him with his shoulder. ''See, man, even she doesn't need to use the crate.''

* * *

**Elimination Chamber**

_''Get ready New Orleans!'' JBL cried from ringside. ''Get ready for this!''_

_''And John Cena looking around...'' King pointed out. ''You've got to realize, that you never knew where these guys are going to come from.''_

_**SIERRA. HOTEL. INDIA. ECHO. LIMA. DELTA. **_

_**SHIELD.**_

_The unique sound of the Shield's music came blasting out of the sound system, replacing that of Ryback, who was already standing in the ring with his partners for the evening; John Cena and Sheamus._

_''Here they come!''_

_''Look, is that... it is!'' Michael Cole called. ''Sierra's with them.''_

_''And making their way to the ring, being accompanied by Sierra, at a combined weight of seven hundred and seventy pounds; Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns... The Shield.''_

_Seth and Dean led the way down the steps and Sierra was careful to stay close to the pair, Roman right behind her; the stern look on the man's face alone was enough to ensure she received no unwanted attention._

_The pair in front hopped over the barricade quickly before coming to a halt, eyeing waiting as Sierra and Roman hopped over behind them. The group eyed the men in the ring as they moved around the ring, escorting Sierra over to the announce table, where there was a seat waiting for her beside JBL._

_He watched as the woman dropped wordlessly into the chair before passing her a spare headset. ''Looks like we're going to have a guest joining us for this match.''_

_The Shield nodded at Sierra before turning to glare at the three men behind the table, Dean pointing a finger at them warningly before they moved back around the ring. _

_''Now, this is only the second time that The Shield will step into the ring for an actual match here in WWE.'' Michael informed the audience at home. ''Back in December, they had a table, ladders and chairs match-''_

_''Whoa!'' Jerry cried in shock._

_Sheamus, Ryback and John had obviously had enough of waiting; the three men quickly jumping from the ring and launching an attack on The Shield._

_''Here we go! Cena, Sheamus and Ryback going after The Shield before they even start this match!''_

_Sierra shook her head, wincing as Seth's head was slammed into the top of the Spanish announce table, courtesy of John Cena. ''Cheating, that's what they're doing.''_

_''Cheating?'' Jerry scoffed from the other end of the table. ''Just looks like The Shield can't cope now that the odds are finally even!''_

_''The odds are irrelevant. The Shield is the most unstoppable force here in the WWE, they can take those three goons, no problem.''_

_''Can we focus on the match, please?'' Michael Cole let of an exasperated sigh. _

_''Yeah, King.'' Sierra mocked. ''Why don't you do your job and actually call the match?''_

_''Well, technically the match hasn't even started yet...'' JBL piped up, earning himself another sigh from the man beside him._

_''Whoa! Triple, triple verticals!''_

_The brawl had finally moved into the ring, The Shield having just been laid out by their opponents. Roman and Seth rolled out of the ring with their faces etched in pain, while John and Ryback headed into their corner; leaving Dean to officially start of the match against the Irishman._

_''And now the match-up is underway. As Sheamus goes right to work on Dean Ambrose.''_

_The latter had been forced into the corner, the ginger man delivering a flurry of hard hits before being pulled away by the referee. Dean used the distraction to his advantage, grabbing the other man and switching their positions so he was the one pummeling him in the corner._

_''Ambrose goes six-foot four, he's two hundred and twenty-five pounds, from Cincinnati, Ohio.''_

_''Have you been Googling him, Michael?'' Sierra teased. _

_JBL laughed. ''I'm pretty sure Michael uses the internet for other things.''_

_''Well, it's certainly not for tie shopping.'' She commented, eyeing him in distaste. ''Where did you get that thing? It's hideous.''_

_''Speaking of shopping, looks like you went out and got yourself some new stuff.'' JBL pointed out, the camera panning to show the woman in her full, tactical get-up. ''Looks good on you.''_

_King chuckled. ''I agree, you definitely pull it off a lot better than those guys.''_

_''I- oh no...''_

_Her attention returned to the ring where Sheamus had Dean tied up in the ropes as he started to deliver the Beats of the Bodhrán. He managed to get to three before Seth ran across the apron to make the save, only to be knocked down to the outside by Sheamus._

_The man turned back to Dean, deciding to unzip the man's tactical best and yank up his shirt before re-starting the clubbing._

_''There goes the protection!'' Michael cried._

_The harsh smacks against the man's skin echoed through the arena, the crowd counting to ten as his fists landed. As soon as he was released from the ropes, Dean collapsed from the apron, trying to gather his bearings on the outside of the ring._

_Sheamus jumped out after him, giving Seth a hard shoulder barge as he approached, moving over to grab Dean and toss him back in the ring. Just as he was about to roll in himself, Roman dropped down from the apron, staring him down menacingly._

_Laughing, Sheamus just waved his hand in the universal, 'bring it', motion._

_When Roman did nothing, the Irishman jumped up onto the apron, only to be sent flying to the floor after being hit in the temple by Dean's boot; the man taking advantage of his teammates distracting presence and delivering a high kick. _

_''That's what I'm talking about.'' JBL commented as Dean made the tag to the Samoan. ''The cohesion of a team.''_

_''And here's the tag to the six foot three, two hundred and sixty-five pounder from Pensacola, Florida!''_

_''He nearly took Sheamus' head off with that clothesline!'' Jerry squawked._

_''Unstoppable. Force.'' Sierra repeated her statement from before. ''When are you going to start believing?''_

_The pair re-entered the ring, Roman putting the boots into Sheamus before yanking him up and shoving him into their corner; The Shield holding him defenseless._

_''Guys, I've wrestled the Freebirds, I've seen the Four Horesemen, and I'm not sure this isn't the most destructive team in the history of sports entertainment.'' JBL told them._

_Roman tagged in Dean, who let Seth tag himself in off his back before hitting Sheamus with a dropkick against the ropes. The man was hit by another one a moment later, this time by the legal man, Seth Rollins._

_''Look at this!'' Sierra cried haughtily. ''Have you ever seen a team work so seamlessly together.''_

_''You know, I didn't even realize that there were so many problems or injustices here in the WWE until The Shield showed up.''_

_''There's a lot of things you don't realize, King.'' Sierra responded. ''Like, for instance, how to properly call a match.''_

_Seth dropped down into the cover but the Celtic Warrior kicked out after the two count. The two-toned man quickly wrangled him into a chokehold._

_''Seth Rollins is six-foot one, two hundred and nine pounds. He's known for his chaotic style, very calculated and frantic.''_

_''And he's from Davenport, Iowa... the largest of the Quad Cities.'' Sierra added nonchalantly._

_JBL snorted. ''You two better watch out, she's doing a better job than both of you!''_

_Using his strength to his advantage, Sheamus managed to power up to his feet, just about to break the hold when Seth rammed a shoulder into his midsection, shoving him back into The Shield's corner._

_''Sheamus is where he does not want to be, and that is in the wrong corner.'' Michael stated as the group made another tag. ''Dean Ambrose back in now.''_

_The man pulled Sheamus out of the corner, shoving him into the adjacent one before delivering a series of hard elbows to his opponent's head._

_''Very eccentric style of Dean Ambrose.''_

_''Sheamus, I'm sure, would love to fight back but these guys, they just smother you and you don't get a chance to-''_

_Jerry never got the chance to finish his sentence when Sheamus exploded from the corner and hit Dean with a powerful Brogue Kick, sending the man flopping to the mat._

_''And can Sheamus capitalize on this?!''_

_Dean managed to stagger, dazed, over to his corner to tag in Roman just as Sheamus made it to his, tagging in John._

_''There it is!'' King cried._

_The crowd's response was mixed as the Boston native stepped into the ring; the man ducking Roman's clothesline and rebounding off the ropes with a flying shoulder block. He repeated the action before hoisting the big man up and hitting him with a spinout slam, raising his right hand high above him as he stood over Roman's prone form._

_''Cena on a roll!''_

_Sierra's lip curled. ''Urgh.''_

_John turned to face the other two members of The Shield, waving his hand in front of his face in his signature, 'you can't see me', gesture before bouncing off the ropes and hitting the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Roman._

_''Oh, come on!'' Sierra cried. ''Seriously, 'Five Knuckle Shuffle', how is that even PG? That man is everything that is wrong with the WWE!''_

_John started to lift the other man up onto his shoulders, intending to hit him with the Attitude Adjustment but was forced to drop him when he spotted Seth diving into the ring to make the save. He was rewarded with a swift kick to the gut for his efforts before being tossed from the ring; John tripping Roman was he rushed him, quickly locking on the STF._

_''And Cena has it lock- and there's Ambrose again! They're like a swarm of hornets!'' _

_Dean had ducked into the ring, effectively breaking the hold before being reprimanded by the referee. _

_King agreed. ''You've got to be ready for anything with The-''_

_''And look at this!'' Michael shouted, interrupting the other man._

_While his teammate was distracting the referee, Seth had time to climb to the top rope and hit John with a flying knee to the temple; leaving the man knocked out in the middle of the ring._

_''Seth Rollins from the top rope! It's like a frenzy out there!''_

_''Let me tell you, this is the greatest three-man team this business has ever seen.'' JBL proclaimed as Roman went for the cover, the other man kicking out after two. _

_''Well, the thing is-''_

_JBL spoke again. ''Ever.''_

_''Well, I'm glad one of you three has the brains to see that.'' Sierra told them with a smirk._

_King scoffed loudly. ''Wait a minute, I would not go that far.''_

_Roman blocked John from getting to his corner and making the tag, dragging him up and hitting him with a hard headbutt._

_''Who in the world can you name more destructive than these three?'' The Texan returned._

_''Exactly.'' The woman nodded. ''Nobody in the history of this company has been more destructive, more dominant, more cohesive or more justified than The Shield.''_

_''They haven't even won this match yet!''_

_''__**Yet**__.''_

_''Yeah, I think you two are getting a little ahead of yourselves.'' Michael commented as a replay of Seth's attack on John was replayed on the big screen._

_JBL was having none of it. ''They've dominated everything they've touched.''_

_''If they win this match, then we'll talk.''_

_The crowd were going wild as Roman tossed John around the ring; half of them cheering 'Let's go Cena!' while the other half countered with, 'Cena sucks!'_

_''I don't think that's necessary.'' JBL declined. ''They've dominated the entire wrestling scene since they've been here.''_

_''The problem with The Shield is that they're frenzied, they're chaotic. Once you've got one down, another one comes at you. Like I said before, they're like a group of hornets coming at you.''_

_''And what's the problem with that?'' Sierra questioned. ''That's what you do. These guys have the ability to turn numbers on their side when it's three on three, and it should be even... that's how good they are.''_

_''It's crazy, the synergy these guys have.'' JBL added as Roman made the tag to Dean, the man continuing to beat down John._

_Michael started to speak again. ''Dean Ambrose said that he believes Cena, Sheamus and Ryback are three morally empty individuals. He called Cena a failure. That he fails to set an example every day. He said in Cena's world there are no consequences—wait a minute, cover by Ambrose. And Cena's hand was underneath the rope, good call by the referee there.''_

_''He may be the dumbest smart guy I've ever seen.'' King replied as Seth Rollins tagged into the match. ''That's a dumb statement.''_

_''No, what's dumb is your t-shirt.'' Sierra fired back at him. ''His statement was valid and John Cena is a problem. A problem that The Shield is going to take care of.''_

_The next ten minutes of the match continued with The Shield dominating John, while Sierra and JBL argued with King and Michael at the announce table. Finally, after dumping Dean over the top rope and creating some space for himself, John started to crawl to his corner. _

_The entire arena was passionately chanting, 'Feed me more!', badly wanting Ryback in the match. _

_''And this is the chance that Cena needs!''_

_''This place will erupt if Ryback gets tagged in!'' JBL laughed. _

_He was right, the crowd's cheers thundered through the arena as John reached the corner and tagged the big man in, Dean tagging in Seth at the same time. _

_''Here he comes!''_

_Ryback effortlessly plowed through Seth, hitting the man with a huge forearm to the face and doing the same to Dean when he tried to run interference. The next few minutes saw him systematically tear through the pair one after the other before pumping his arm, the crowd starting up another chant. _

_''Ryback, dismantling The Shield, here!''_

_Before he could execute his famous lariat, Ryback was ambushed from behind by Roman, causing all hell to break loose inside the ring. _

_Sheamus was quick to jump in, going after Roman before Dean went after him; the Irishman hitting him with a hard clothesline that sent them both falling over the top rope. He continued his beat down of Dean at ringside, but it didn't last long._

_The crowd let out a roar as Roman ran towards him, hitting him with a massive spear, sending both men crashing through the barricade into the timekeeper's area and nearly landing on Lilian Garcia._

_''Roman Reigns, oh my God!''_

_''Good grief!'' JBL cried._

_The crowd were still going crazy as Roman rolled over the top of Sheamus with a wince, trying to get himself back to ringside._

_''Roman Reigns just speared Sheamus into the timekeeper's area! Unbelievable spear by Roman Reigns! Sheamus may be down and out! Meanwhile, Rollins and Ryback back in the ring!''_

_Seth climbed to the top rope, waiting for Ryback to get to his feet before launching himself at him. Instead of landing a crossbody as planned, the man found himself caught by the big man, who then used his brute strength to his advantage and lifted him above his head._

_''Seth Rollins caught in mid-air by Ryback!'' Michael shouted, shocked. ''Incedible!''_

_Dean slid into the ring and ran over to the pair, delivering a swift punch to the man's gut which forced him to drop Seth as he fell to the mat himself. _

_''It's three on one again!'' JBL noted excitedly. ''These guys are amazing!''_

_Roman had dragged himself into the ring, joining Seth and Dean as they carried out a vicious assault on Ryback. _

_''Yes, JBL, yes they are!'' Sierra agreed happily._

_Seth and Dean pulled Ryback up as Roman let out a gutteral cry, the trio preparing for their patented triple powerbomb._

_''Oh no, not this.'' King sighed. ''Not th- oh! Look, it's Cena!''_

_The man had appeared out of nowhere, reaching under the bottom rope to grab Roman by the ankles and pull him from the ring, laying him out on the outside with a punch to the face. _

_Ryback managed to turn the tables inside the ring, taking out Seth and Dean with clotheslines as John rolled back into the ring._

_''Hey, look at this, Attitude Adjustment!''_

_Dean had just been hit with the AA as Ryback lifted Seth, preparing to hit him with the Shell Shocked. What he hadn't taken into account, was Roman Reigns._

_The Samoan had recovered from John's attack and slid into the ring, flying towards Ryback before he could hit his finisher. _

_''A spear! A spear!'' Cole bellowed._

_Seth had fallen right on top of Ryback and quickly hooked his leg, the pair still being the two legal men._

_''Cover!''_

_The referee dropped to the mat and counted the 1-2-3._

_Sierra whooped. ''Yes!''_

_'And The Shield has done it!'' _

_John sat up in the ring, an expression of pure shock on his face as he turned around, finding Ryback unmoving. He had obviously assumed that Seth had been hit with the Shell Shocked and that Ryback had the match won._

_''I think it's time you start believing.'' A smug Sierra turned to face the three men beside her as The Shield were announced the winners of the match, giving them a shit-eating grin as she rose to her feet. ''Nice chatting to you guys, well, JBL, at least.''_

_She pulled off the headset and dropped it back onto the desk before making her way around the ring to join her team. She gave Rollins a pat on the back before accepting Dean's hand to help her over the barricade. Once she was on the other side, she turned to meet the gaze of John, who was still looking confused in the middle of the ring._

_Smirking, Sierra waved her hand in front of her face, mocking his gesture from earlier. ''You can't see me.''_

* * *

**_So, this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I intended... The next few are going to get interesting, look out for some drama! Keep the reviews coming :)_**


	60. Chapter 60

**Monday 11th March**

''We're back bitches!''

Alexa glanced up from her scripts, a smile creeping across her face when her eyes landed on the two identical brunettes making their way towards her.

Nicole and Brianna Garcia-Colacem better known as the Bella Twins. She hadn't seen the pair in almost a year, but it was glaringly obvious that they weren't as identical as they had been when they left the WWE.

She dropped the papers onto the bench and rose, giving both women warm hugs. ''Hey!''

''Good to see you, Lex.'' Brie smiled at her.

''You too.'' Alexa responded, her eyes crossing over to Nikki, who had returned with a new set of twins of her own. ''Nice tits, Nik.''

''I know, right?'' The woman grinned, proudly jutting her chest out. ''And you'd be surprised how real they feel... you want to touch them?

Her sister let out an exasperated sigh. _''Nicole!''_

''Sure.'' The Latina shrugged, casually stepping forward with her hands in front of her.

Brie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched her sister take hold of Alexa's hands and guide them to her breasts. ''This is beyond weird...''

''They feel awesome.'' Alexa told her, giving them a gentle squeeze. ''If I hadn't known you before you go them done, I'd swear they were real.''

Nikki smirked, raising an eyebrow. ''Maybe you should get yours done if you like them so much?''

''I-''

''Don't listen to her, Lex.'' Brie interjected quickly. ''Your boobs are fine.''

''Your boobs _are _pretty awesome.'' Nikki agreed, her eyes dropping to look at them briefly before she reached out, her hands coming up to rest on them.

_''Nicole!'' _Brie cried again. ''God, you have so sense of personal boundaries!''

''I don't mind.'' Alexa assured them with a smile. ''We're friends, right?''

Nikki beamed back at her before shooting a glare to her sister. ''See, Brie. Lex-''

''What the hell is going on in here?''

The three women turned to face the doorway, finding Celeste watching them with an amused expression on her face.

Nikki laughed, dropping her hands as Alexa did the same. ''Nothing, Lex was just admiring my new boobs.''

''Okay...'' The Texan drawled. ''Well, they want us to film our segment now, if you guys are done feeling each other up?''

* * *

''I can't believe we get to face each other at Wrestlemania!'' Celeste gushed. ''It's going to be so cool.''

Alexa laughed, nodding. ''I know, I can't wait.''

They had just finished filming their promo which had basically just been laying the groundwork for the eventual match between the pair next month. They were both beyond excited; it would be the first time the Diva's Championship would be contested on the pay-per-view, it was going to be Celeste's first ever match on the grandest stage of all and it was Alexa's first match back at Wrestlemania since before her injury.

''Want to head down to catering and watch the rest of the show from there?''

''Sure.'' Alexa grinned at her friend. ''I don't have to go down to ringside with the guys tonight so I'm all yours.''

''Good.'' The woman looped her arm around hers and started to lead her down the hallway. ''Because I have some ideas for our match...''

_ KaitlynWWE: Why does TheShieldWWE always have to play dirty? On an unrelated note- what does the Shield wear on laundry day? #RAW_

_ RealSierra: The Shield don't have laundry days, their gear is washed weekly by the tears of their victims._

* * *

**Monday 25th March**

''Jesus Chris, it's fucking freezing.''

''Man up, Torres.''

Alexa flipped her boyfriend the bird as they trailed behind Joe and Colby, walking through the Pittsburgh street towards the Fearless Athletics building, home of CrossFit South Philly.

''So, I've never done this before, what's all the hype about?''

''Uh, it's a little hard to explain.'' Colby shrugged. ''As long as you know the basics, you'll be fine.''

She turned to Jon with a cocked brow. ''Basics?''

''Lifts, squats, burpees.'' He clarified, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. ''You'll be fine.''

They walked inside and Alexa was a bit taken aback, the gym wasn't like any she had ever been in before. Instead of the usual weight machines, treadmills and cross-trainers there were ropes, boxes, hand weight and bar bells and more kettlebells than she had ever seen in her life. The back wall was painted a vibrant shade of red and there were pull-up rings hanging nearby as well as numerous ropes hanging from the ceiling.

''Looks like a fucking torture chamber...''

The Iowan glanced back at her with a smirk. ''You'll _love_ it!''

Alexa remained unconvinced, grumbling under her breath as the man strode over to a big chalkboard in the corner. She dumbed her gym back to the side and pulled off her jacket before getting into her pre-workout stretches. Once she was finished, she strolled over to join the guys in front of the board, planting her hands on her hips as her eyes skimmed over the words.

''What's a HSPU?''

''Handstand push-up.'' Joe replied, chuckling at her expression. ''You do all that yoga crap, right?''

She gave him a light shove. ''It's _not _crap, but yes, I do.''

''You should find it pretty easy then.''

''Don't listen to him, sweetheart, I love the yoga.'' Jon leaned over to whisper in her ear. ''That sort of flexibility is hot.''

Rolling her eyes, she stepped away from him and over to Colby; the man taking her under his wing and walking her around the warehouse, patiently explaining to her what exercises were to be completed where and the benefits to her body of each one. After setting her up with a weightlifting station and setting her weights for her, he left her to it.

If he ever came to a point where wrestling wasn't an option anymore, she knew he would make one kick-ass CrossFit trainer.

She easily completed her lifts and moved onto her pull-ups and burpees, after which she honesty felt like she was dying. Her water bottle was practically empty and her towel was drenched in sweat, it was a lot harder than she anticipated. She took a quick break before sluggishly moving over to the back wall where she had seen everyone else doing their HSPU's.

''Need help getting up?''

Turning around, she smirked when her eyes fell on Jon. He had obviously been working up quite the sweat too, his chest glistening; he had removed his t-shirt, leaving him in just his shorts as he ran a towel over his face.

''...What?''

''And you call me a perv.''

'What can I say? You're obviously rubbing off on me.''

''I-''

''Shut up.'' She quickly cut off his response, knowing all too well what was about to come out of his mouth.

Jon wandered off and bending over, Alexa planted her hands on the mat before kicking her legs up and pushing herself upright, her feet balancing on the wall to keep herself steady. Despite the fact her arms felt like jelly, she managed to complete her handstand push-up's relatively quickly.

Soaked in sweat, she collapsed to the ground as soon as she was done, trying to regain her strength. A few moments later, she felt someone nudge her shoulder with their foot and reluctantly opened her eyes, finding Colby grinning down at her.

''So? How was it?''

''I feel like I'm dying... but I kind of like it... does that make me a masochist?''

* * *

**RAW**

_''Now, the issue here is that AJ Lee has said, on a number of occasions, that she believes Kaitlyn has abandoned her just like, well, everybody else over the years.''_

_The bell sounded and Kaitlyn wasted no time in diving on her former friend, landing blow after blow to her face._

_''Kaitlyn doesn't see it that way, these two used to be best friends. And Diva's Champion, Kaitlyn, taking it to AJ Lee!''_

_King chuckled. ''You're right about that! Kaitlyn's going to get up close and personal with AJ!''_

_The two-toned woman threw AJ into the corner, the smaller woman bouncing off the turnbuckle and into Kaitlyn's elbow, sending her to the canvas._

_''Well, in just thirteen days, Kaitlyn will be getting up close and personal with Sierra.'' Michael stated. ''The 'Shieldmaiden' looking to regain the Diva's Championship at Wrestlemania.''_

_''That's definitely going to be one to watch!'' _

_''And Kaitlyn still in control here, AJ hasn't managed to get any offence in at al- ooh! What a slap!''_

_The man spoke too soon, AJ having got to her feet and managing to land a hard blow to her opponent's face. _

_''AJ's a whack-job!'' Michael said, watching as she was laid out by a vicious clothesline from the Champion. ''She's a few fries short of a Happy Meal!''_

_Jerry laughed. ''You don't just slap Kaitlyn and then just skip around the ring!''_

_''It's a shame their friendship had to come to-''_

_**SIERRA. HOTEL. ECHO. LIMA. DELTA. **_

_**SHIELD**_

_Kaitlyn, who had just lifted AJ up onto her shoulders, turned to face the ramp uneasily as Special Ops blared through the speakers._

_''What's Sierra doing out here?'' Michael wondered._

_The woman had emerged from the side of the stage, coming to a halt just in front of the ring; her arms crossed over her chest and a sinister smirk on her lips as she stared at the woman inside the ring._

_''I don't know, but it can't be good.''_

_''We've already seen her out here once tonight, when The Shield took on Justin Gabriel, Khali and Zack Ryder.''_

_Kaitlyn was forced to tear her eyes away from the woman as AJ managed to struggle out of the hold she had on her, dropping down behind her and rolling her up for a near fall._

_''Smart move by AJ.'' Michael noted. ''Trying to take advantage of the distraction caused by Sierra.'' _

_Sierra casually strolled around the ring as the two women grappled inside, heading over to the timekeepers area. Leaning over the barricade, she snatched the Diva's Championship belt from the official, a devious look on her face as she carried it over to the ring._

_''What is she doing?''_

_She slid into the ring, ignoring the referees demands for her leave and approached the unsuspecting women. The pair had managed to slam into each other at the same time and were just __slowly starting to stagger to their feet._

_Kaitlyn was the first to stand, turning around and looking at the woman in dread when she saw her in the ring. Not giving her the chance to react, Sierra ran forward and crashed the title belt into her skull._

_''Oh my God!'' Michael cried in horror. _

_The referee signalled for the bell, Kaitlyn winning the match via disqualification. _

_The crowd were booing heavily as AJ finally turned to see what was happening, still slightly dazed from her opponent's attacks. Her eyes widened and her jaw went slack when she realized that she had just lost the match because of Sierra. She stomped over to the Latina, angrily shouting and getting in her face before delivering a slap to the side of her face, the sound seemingly echoing around the arena._

_''What is AJ doing?!'' King gasped. ''She IS crazy!''_

_Sierra barked out a laugh at AJ's audacity, her free hand coming up to rest on her stinging cheek before a dark look spread across her face. AJ quickly took a step back, nearly stumbling over her own feet in her haste to get away from the woman._

_Michael chuckled. ''Looks like AJ has just realized what she's done.'' _

_Sierra dropped the belt to the mat before reaching out and grabbing a handful of the smaller woman's hair, smirking when she screamed. She delivered a hard kick to AJ's stomach before hooking her arm around the back of her neck._

_''She's not doing what I think she's do- oh! DDT! DDT right onto the Diva's Championship belt!''_

_Sierra snatched the belt out from under AJ's head before she stood, flipping her hair over her shoulder before raising it above her head, the disapproving roar of the crowd in her ears and a satisfied smirk on her lips as Raw cut to commercial._


	61. Chapter 61

**Tuesday 26th March**

''Finally! We're back and we have a few days off.''

''Speak for yourself. I've got to fly out to LA on Thursday.'' With a sigh, Alexa nuzzled into Jon's side and shut her eyes. ''I am so tired, I think I could sleep for a fucking month.''

''Like Sleeping Beauty.''

''Lucky bitch... she didn't have to fly halfway across the country every few days."

Jon chuckled and she smiled as the sound reverberated through her. The next week was going to be hectic, so she was determined to enjoy the peace while it lasted.

Along with Chris, she was scheduled on a few shows to promote Wrestlemania. They were due to fly out to California on Thursday morning with Chris, the pair of them scheduled to record the 'Conan O'Brien Show' that evening before catching a red-eye to New York to tape 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' on Friday. Then, of course, they had to fly to Washington DC where Raw and Smackdown were being held before heading over to New Jersey for Axxess week followed by Wrestlemania.

Alexa sighed contentedly, running her hand through his messy locks. ''I am really happy right now... it's kind of hard to believe it's been a whole year.''

That day marked their one year anniversary of officially being a couple. Both of them had agreed not to do the whole gift-giving thing, instead promising that they would just spend some quality time together while they were off.

''Well, I guess it _is _longer, if you count the time we were just screwing around.''

''Hmm... I guess. It sounds stupid, but when I first met you, I knew there was something special about you.''

''Yeah?'' He tilted his head to look down at her. ''When I first saw you at developmental, I thought you were a bitch.''

She rolled her eyes. ''And then?''

''And then I got to know you and realized I was right.'' He laughed when she slapped him on the chest. ''I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Then I realized that there was a lot more to you than met the eye and it made me curious. I, uh, may or may not have googled you, watched some of your old matches...''

''You used the internet? For me?'' Alexa mocked a gasp, looking up at him in amusement, knowing of his aversion to technology. ''I'm honoured.''

''You should be.'' He replied with a grumble.

''I did the same, you know. That night I first came out with you guys, after you walked me home I spent hours on my laptop watching your indie stuff on YouTube.''

They remained in a comfortable silence for a few moments, Jon idly running his fingers through her hard before speaking softly.

''Lex?''

''Yeah?''

''I love you.''

''I know.'' Alexa smiled, tilting her head to face him. ''I love you, too.''

''No.'' He shook his head, intently staring down at her. ''I mean... I really, _really_, love you. And I want you around, like, _all _the time. We should move in together.''

She shifted away from him and propped herself up on her elbow, not quite sure what she was hearing. ''What?''

''We spend all our time together anyway.'' Jon shrugged, a shy smile creeping onto his face. ''Living with Bill, it's cool, but I want somewhere that I can finally call home, you know? Something that's _mine_. And, you know what they say; home is where the heart is. I love you and I want that with you.''

Despite the whole idea seemingly having come out of the blue, she could tell he was serious; his eyes were soft and his voice was sincere. Tears clouded her eyes as she tried to take it all in.

''I... uh...''

''I know you've got ties here, what with Chris, Jess and the kids... but I figured you could still keep this place. Saraya could rent it or something and then we could look for somewhere to buy together?''

''Jon-''

''Anywhere you want.'' He carried on. ''Well I say anywhere, but I draw the line at Canada, it's way too fucking cold... but I guess if you really wanted to then-''

Alexa cut him off, closing the short distance between them and capturing his lips with hers. He grinned against her mouth before pulling back slightly, his dimples out full force.

''So? Is that a yes?''

She bit her lip, looking up at him through hooded eyes. ''I know we're together most of the time anyway, but living together is all day every day, no escape... are you sure you're ready for that?''

Jon frowned, taken aback by her comment. ''No escape? I don't want an escape. I just told you, I love being with you. I love you. Do you need an escape from me?''

''No! Of course not.'' She smiled reassuringly. ''I was just making sure, it's a big step and-''

He cut her off this time, pressing his lips to hers and she leaned into him, letting out a quiet moan as he gently sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. She pulled away after a moment, knowing that they would get carried away if she didn't put a stop to it.

He leaned his forehead against hers, staring at her intently. ''So?''

''Us living together would be pretty awesome...'' Her lips quirked into a smile. ''We could just be naked all day and not have to worry about people walking in on us.''

''No pants are the best pants.''

''And I can take care of any spider infestations for you.'' She teased, knowing of his fear of the insects. ''Does this mean I'll actually have to cook?''

''I can cook.''

''Melting cheese on stuff is not cooking.''

* * *

**Thursday 28th March**

''Will you just pick something to wear already? We're going to be late?''

''What do you mean, we? Why are you even coming?''

''Moral support.''

''You just want to see me crash and burn.''

''That too.''

Alexa shot the Canadian a sour look as she tossed some more items out of her case as she tried to find something suitable to wear. They had just been informed that there had been some miscommunication and only one of them would be appearing on the show, it had eventually been decided that she would do Conan and Chris would do Fallon the next day.

''Why are you freaking out so much? You've done interviews before, this one won't be any different.''

''I know that, but most interviews are done as Sierra; the bad-ass, wrestler chick. Now I have to go out there and be me? It's weird.''

''_You _are the bad-ass, wrestler chick.'' He told her firmly. ''Just be yourself and you'll be fine.''

She didn't reply, instead she bent down to grab one of the dresses she had discarded earlier and held it up in front of her body.

''What about this one?''

''Yeah, that's nice, go put it on.''

She dashed into the bathroom of the hotel room, quickly slipping the dress on. It was an orange Alexander McQueen bustier mini-dress, with a full circle skirt and sheer panel on the bottom. Her height meant it reached just below mid-thigh and the low neckline showed a generous amount of cleavage.

Chris let out a whistle as she stepped out of the bathroom. ''Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner.''

Alexa laughed, adjusting the top of the dress self-consciously. ''It's not too much?''

''Well, I guess if your goal is to give everyone over thirty premature heart failure, it's fine.'' He teased. ''Come to think of it, I don't think heart failure will be the only thing that's premature, if you know what I mean.''

''You're disgusting.''

* * *

_''Now, it's time for our second guest of the evening... she's a young woman who has been wrestling since she was just eleven years old and is currently shaking things up in the WWE as a member of The Shield. She's most commonly known as Sierra but we'll use her real name tonight. So, please welcome, Alexa Torres!''_

_Her entrance music started to play and Alexa emerged onto the set to a surprisingly loud round of applause; she smiled for the cameras and made her way over to the desk, greeting Seth Rogen, who had been Conan's first guest, before doing the same to the host and taking a seat on the couch._

_''Hi.'' Alexa smiled shyly. ''Thank you for playing my music as I came out, made me feel right at home.''_

_''No problem. I have to say, you look absolutely stunning.'' Conan complimented her. ''Doesn't she look beautiful, ladies and gentlemen?''_

_His comment prompted several wolf-whistles and cheers from the audience, making her duck her head bashfully. _

_''But seriously, look at you.'' Seth piped of from beside her. ''It's really hard to believe that you kick people's asses for a living.'' _

_''Well, WWE have supplied us with a little video package of you in action, let's take a look.''_

_They watched as a short montage of her in-ring work was played on the screen nearby, as well as some clips of her recent promos._

_''Impressive!'' Conan nodded, turning back to her. ''I'm actually pretty scared right now!''_

_''Don't be, I'm nice, I promise.''_

_''I'm sure you are.'' He laughed, reaching down and pulling something out from under his desk. ''Look what I found!''_

_He handed her over a small action figure of 'Sierra' that had been made several years ago, the thing looking eerily like her._

_''Oh my God, I haven't seen one of these in years.'' She exclaimed, holding it out in front of her._

_''Must be pretty cool, right? Having your own action figure?''_

_''Yeah, it's pretty rad, being able to play with yourself...'' She trailed off, realizing how that sounded when everyone started laughing. _

_''That's probably the only time you can do that in public and not get arrested. So!'' He clapped his hands together. ''You've been doing this since you were eleven years old, is that right?''_

_''Uh-huh, sure is.'' She confirmed. _

_''And what made you, you know, want to do this for a living? I mean, it's not what young girls usually aspire to be.''_

_''No?'' Alexa quirked an eyebrow. ''What did you want to be when you were a little girl, Conan?''_

_The studio audience laughed along with the men beside her. _

_Conan held his hands up in surrender, chuckling. ''Touché, touché.''_

_''No, um, I know it's quite an... unusual career choice. My Dad was a wrestler so I kind of grew up around it. After seeing my first show I was hooked.''_

_''So, where did you grow up? Where did you actually learn to wrestle? Did you go to some kind of school, or...''_

_''I kind of grew up all over the place. I was born in Mexico but spent most of my childhood in Texas. We moved up to Canada, which was where my Dad started training me. He passed away a few years later and then I moved back to Texas to carry on my training. Then when I was ready and fully trained, I headed to Mexico and started wrestling the shows down there.''_

_He whistled. ''Wow, what does your Mom think of it all? She must be really proud of you.''_

_''Uh, I wouldn't really know, we don't talk.'' Alexa shifted uncomfortably. ''She wasn't really, uh... supportive of my choices.'' _

_''Awkward...'' Seth drawled, breaking the tension. ''Way to go, Conan.''_

_The older man laughed. ''So, where is it you call home now?''_

_''I'm living in Florida right now but I might be moving soon. Any suggestions?''_

_The audience started shouting out random places, making the three on stage laugh._

_''Well, I'm biased, but LA's pretty nice.'' Conan replied as Seth nodded in agreement. ''You should take a look around while you're here.''_

_Alexa snorted. ''I would, but I literally have a flight to catch in, like, two hours.''_

_''Didn't you just fly in this morning?'' At her nod, he continued. ''Where are you headed tonight?''_

_''New York. I'm on the red-eye there, then after some interviews there I'm headed to Washington for some shows. Then it's off to New Jersey for Wrestlemania week.''_

_''Holy shit!'' Seth exclaimed. ''Do you travel that much all the time?''_

_She shrugged. ''You get used to it.''_

_''If I had to fly that often I think I would actually kill myself.''_

_Conan laughed. ''Did you hear his hungover-slash-stoned flight experience?''_

_She laughed. ''I did.''_

_''Any similar experiences you can share?''_

_''Well, I've never had brownie with 'herbal components' but I have been on a flight with a really bad hangover before. The in-flight film wasn't working and I was stuck next to this bratty little kid who was listening to Justin Bieber on repeat and singing along. I couldn't cope with that for eight hours.''_

_''What did you do?''_

_''I waited until the girl's mom went to the bathroom before asking how much it would take for her to turn her iPod off.''_

_Conan sighed. ''How much?''_

_''Fifty bucks... but the joke was on her, it was a Canadian fifty.''_

_Seth's distinctive laugh boomed from beside her as the audience laughed. The host shook his head in mock disapproval. _

_''You hustled an innocent little girl.''_

_''Hey! She had it coming, I mean, Justin Bieber? Come on.''_

_''Shouldn't you Canadian's be sticking together?''_

_''I know I'm only half-Canadian... but I would like to sincerely apologize for inflicting him on the rest of the world.''_

_''Seconded. You know, there's this 'thing' where people think all Canadians are nice. Well, that's a lie. There are nice Canadians... and then there's Bieber.''_

_Alexa nodded, trying to keep a straight face. ''Every year, on Canadian Thanksgiving, we perform a ritual to purge ourselves of our rudeness, Bieber absorbs it all.''_

_''He was never meant to escape.'' Seth look solemnly into the camera. ''We are so, so sorry.''_

_Conan laughed and clapped along with the audience as his two guests shared a high-five on the couch._

_''So, moving swiftly on... what do you like to do in your spare time?'' _

_''You know, I actually get asked that a lot and there's always this perverted part of my brain that goes, 'say masturbate, it'll be hilarious', and I never have the guts to say it.''_

_''Until now!'' He cried as the audience laughed. _

_''Until now! But no... uh, I like a lot of things besides wrestling... and masturbating. I spend a lot of time waiting around in airports so I quite enjoy people watching. You know? You see these people walk by with little smiles on their faces, because something happened that made them happy. Maybe they got a nice text, maybe they got laid, maybe they killed a man. You will never know.'' She paused as the audience laughed again. ''Also, music. I'm really into music, I never leave home without my iPod.''_

_''What is it about music that you like?''_

_''It sounds good.'' She deadpanned._

_Conan sighed and hung his head in resignation. ''Why do I do this?''_

_''I just think that music is a total constant.'' She explained. ''That's why we have such a strong, visceral connection to it, you know? A song can instantly take you back to a moment, or a place, even a person. No matter what else has changed, in you or the world, that one song stays exactly the same. Just like that moment.''_

_''Very profound.'' He nodded. ''I like it.''_

_''And... food!''_

_''Food?''_

_''Uh-huh.'' She nodded enthusiastically. ''I love food.''_

_''Who doesn't?'' Seth chimed._

_''Well, I can see that you like food.'' Conan raised an eyebrow at him before turning back to her. ''You, not so much. You're in great shape.''_

_''If I ran like my mouth I'd be in a lot better shape.'' Alexa glanced down at herself. ''In all seriousness, I have to work out a lot to compensate for all the crap I eat. When I first went back on the road after my injury, I came home for a few days and the store I usually get my pizza delivered from called me to see if I was still alive.''_

_''Really?''_

_''Really. They said that because I hadn't ordered from them in over two weeks, they were concerned about me. But it was all good, and after the phone call they rocked up with a free, complimentary, welcome back pizza.''_

_''That's amazing!'' Conan laughed. ''What about sleep? Do you get much while travelling or do you just make do with naps here and there?''_

_''See, I try not to take naps if I can help it, I find them very tricky.''_

_''How so?''_

_''Well, you either wake up all refreshed and relaxed, or you have a headache, dry throat and are unaware of what year you're in.''_

_''Oh my God, that's so true!'' Conan agreed. _

_''I know, right? So, I usually wait until I'm sure I can get a good few hours in.''_

_''Are you a morning person?''_

_''Yeah, I do like to get up early if I can, my boyfriend hates it, he's the complete opposite.''_

_''Boyfriend?'' He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. ''Tell me more.''_

_Shrugging, she shot him a bashful smile. ''Not much to tell. We've been together a year and we're very happy.''_

_''You mentioned earlier that you plan on moving soon, is that with the boyfriend?''_

_''Yep.''_

_''And this boyfriend, is he a wrestler too.''_

_''He might be.''_

_''Going to give us a name?''_

_''Nope.''_

_The audience laughed._

_''Fair enough, fair enough. Now, one last question; I had The Miz on here a few years ago. Now, as well as wrestling, he's also appeared in several movies. Is that something that you'd ever consider?''_

_''Seriously, me?'' Alexa snorted. ''No way.''_

_''Why not? You're beautiful, from seeing some of your promos earlier, you can act... I think you'd be amazing.''_

_''I just want to wrestle, I'm not really into doing anything else.''_

_''Not even rapping?'' Seth questioned with a smirk._

_Her eyes widened. ''What?''_

_''There was this video of you trending on Twitter last week.''_

_Alexa covered her face in embarrassment. ''Please, God, no...''_

_The audience laughed as Conan gestured over to the screen, the recording of her karaoke appearing on the plasma. She kept her face covered for a few minutes, finally looking up when it had finished, a light blush staining her cheeks._

_''Unfortunately, that's all we have time for! Tune into RAW on Monday night, Smackdown on Friday night and then Wrestlemania on Sunday night where Alexa gets the chance to win back the WWE Diva's Championship!''_

* * *

As soon as Alexa walked backstage, Chris swept her up into his waiting arms. ''That was great! You had nothing to be worried about.''

''Really?''

''Really.''

''He's right, that was great.''

The pair turned around to find Seth standing just behind them, not realizing they were blocking the doorway.

''Thanks.'' Alexa gushed, quickly stepping out of the man's way.

''Here.'' He pulled something from the pocket of his pants before thrusting it in her direction. ''Just in case you change your mind about the acting thing.''

''Are you shitting me!?'' She blurted, taking the card and turning it over in her hands.

''No, I'm not shitting you.'' The Vancouver native laughed. ''I think you're funny, you'd fit well in one of my movies.''

''Well... shit...''

He laughed again. ''Uh, do you have a card? So I can reach you, too?''

As she fumbled around for a reply, Chris stepped forward and handed the man one of his cards. ''Here, you can call me and then I can put you in touch with her.''

''Cool, man.'' He shoved it into his pocket. ''Well, nice meeting you both, I'm sure we'll be in touch soon.''

The pair waited until the man had walked off before turning to each other, Alexa letting out a small squeal as she grasped the tops of his arms, shaking him as she jumped up and down. ''Oh my God! Seth Rogen thinks _I'm _funny!''


	62. Chapter 62

**Sunday 7th April**

Wrestlemania week had been a chaotic affair; full of signings, meet and greets, interviews and appearances. Alexa felt like she hadn't had a moment to catch her breath all week and was pretty much running on empty by the time the big day rolled around.

The Hall of Fame ceremony had been held the previous evening but she had been scheduled to do a signing with the guys instead. She had been devastated that she hadn't been able to attend, especially since Trish was being inducted. Although she missed out on that, she had been able to make it to the Hall of Fame after-party; which meant she had been able to see her old friend and congratulate her on the induction as well as her newly announced pregnancy.

The best thing about the week, though, was getting to experience Jon, Joe and Colby's first Wrestlemania with them. Obviously, Colby and Jon had been there last year but this was their first _official _one. She had been there for all their appearances and it was just really amazing for her to be there, knowing how far they had all come.

''Uh... excuse me?''

Alexa glanced up from her phone, her gaze landing on two women she had never seen before. ''Hey...''

''Oh! I'm JoJo and this is Eva. We're new.'' The smaller one beamed at her excitedly, holding out her hand. ''It's so great to meet you, I'm a huge fan!''

''Well, thank you.'' She shook both women's hands politely. ''It's nice to meet you both too. Is this your first show?''

''Yeah.'' Eva nodded, a small smile on her face. ''It's pretty crazy.''

''I think it's awesome!''

Alexa laughed at JoJo's enthusiasm before she glanced over at the other woman, her eyes narrowing slightly. She didn't know what it was about her, maybe she was just nervous or something, but she was getting a weird vibe from Eva.

''We better go, Jo, I'm sure she has to get ready for her match and stuff.'' Eva said, starting to drag the younger woman away.

''Yeah, okay.'' JoJo gave her an awkward wave as she walked away. ''Good luck!''

Shaking her head in amusement, Alexa glanced over to the TV monitor in the corner; Mike and Stuart 'Wade Barrett' Bennett had just started going at it for the Intercontinental Championship. Knowing that Jon, Joe and Colby were up after their match, she quickly zipped up her bag and headed down the hall to Gorilla.

The trio were stood by the monitor bay, waiting for the security guys to arrive and escort them through the building to where they made their entrance. Randy, Stephen and Paul were hanging around a few feet ahead of them, talking amongst themselves.

She had to admit, it was beyond weird that her friends and boyfriend were involved in a storyline with her ex-boyfriend. But, as much as an asshole as Randy could be, she knew he was nothing but professional when it came to working in the ring.

''Hey guys.'' She grinned, coming to a halt beside them. ''Thought I'd come and see you before you head out.''

''Shouldn't you be getting ready for your match?'' Colby questioned before taking a swig from his water bottle.

''They've bumped our match up, we're not going out until after the Undertaker/Punk match.'' She told them with a shrug, slinging her arms over Joe and Jon's shoulders and nodding her head to the two-toned man. ''Get in here.''

Rolling his eyes, Colby did as she asked and stepped forward, hooking his arms over the two men's necks. ''What exactly are we doing?''

''Well, I was going for a group hug but it's turned into more of a huddle...'' Alexa trailed off. ''This is going to sound super corny, and I'm sorry, but I just wanted to tell you guys that I'm really proud of you and-''

Colby groaned, cutting her off. ''Oh my God...''

''Shut up, man.'' Joe shot him a look before smiling at her. ''Let her finish.''

She stuck her tongue out at the man opposite before speaking. ''Go out there and kick some ass, show everyone how fucking amazing you are... This is just the start and I want to bet you all fifty bucks that in a couple of years, the three of you will be at the top and headlining Wrestlemania. You're all awesome and I love you.''

''We love you too baby girl.'' Joe leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head. ''And, you know, we probably wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you.''

''Yeah, you're pretty awesome.'' Colby nodded, removing his arms from the two men so he could wrap her up in a tight hug. ''If it wasn't for your Big Boss Man idea, we might not have even been called up yet. We'd still be rotting down at NXT.''

''Don't be stupid.'' She mumbled, pulling away from him. ''I just planted the seed, you guys earned this.''

''Shield, this way!''

''We better go. Thanks, Lex.''

''Yeah, we'll catch you right after your match.''

''Love you, babe.''

Her cheeks flamed red as Joe and Colby planted quick kisses on her cheeks, Jon giving her a chaste kiss on the lips before the trio headed off.

''Have fun, guys!''

* * *

''How are you _not _nervous?''

Alexa paced through Gorilla, her eyes fixed on the screen where they were showing highlights from the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Howard Finkel standing in the ring as he introduced the new Hall of Famers on the stage; Mick Foley, Booker T, Trish Stratus, Bob Backlund, Donald Trump and Bruno Sammartino.

''I'm just not.'' Celeste just shrugged, leaning against the wall as she stretched out her leg. ''But, I swear if you do not stop pacing, I'm going to punch you in the face.''

Alexa stopped her movements with a sigh, smiling weakly at her friend. ''Sorry.''

''Why are you so nervous?''

''I don't know, maybe because there's over eighty thousand people out there.'' She drawled sarcastically. ''And because there's a lot of pressure on us to do well. Stephanie and Paul convinced them to put us on the card, she actually _fought_ for us to have this match, I really don't want to let them down.''

''I-''

''And we're pretty high on the card, in case you didn't notice. _And _we're following a pretty fucking epic match that Mark and Phil just put on. And-''

''Alright, alright, I get it.'' Celeste blanched. ''Jesus, now _I'm _nervous.''

The Hall of Famers were starting to make their way backstage, Mick gave Alexa a pat on the back as he passed before Trish appeared in his place, grinning at her.

''Hey!''

''Hey.'' She gave her a quick hug. ''You look amazing.''

''Thanks. You look badass in all your gear!'' The blonde stated, looking over the riot gear the other woman had on. ''You two ready to go out there?''

''Sure...'' Alexa bit her lip, sharing a nervous look with Celeste.

Trish laughed, noticing the small exchange. ''Lex, remember what I told you before your first match here?''

''Uh... you told me to make sure that my boobs were taped in good...'' She raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Trish shook her head with a small chuckle. ''After that, I told you to just go out there and have fun. Once you're out there, the adrenaline will kick in and the nerves will disappear. It doesn't matter how many people are in the crowd. At the core of it all, however you're doing it, in front of however many people, it's the same. You're telling a story and interacting with the crowd.''

''Two minutes ladies.''

''Good luck.'' Trish gave both women a hug before leaving them alone.

Alexa jumped up and down, swinging her arms back and forth as she started to pump herself up. ''We're going to kill this.''

Celeste grinned and headed to the curtain as her music started to play. ''See you out there.''

* * *

**Wrestlemania**

_''And the challenger, from __Juárez, Mexico... Sierra!''_

_The Latina sauntered down to the ring to a heavy chorus of boos, smirking as she looked around at the jeering faces._

_''I think Kaitlyn had better kiss the Diva's Championship because the mood Sierra's been in recently... doesn't bode well for the champion.'' Michael spoke into his headset. ''The 'Shieldmaiden' looking to regain the title she lost all the way back in November.''_

_JBL laughed. ''I think Kaitlyn's reign is going to come to an end tonight and she knows it, look at her face!''_

_The woman in question was watching Sierra climb into the ring, apprehension clear in her eyes as she handed the belt to the referee._

_''She has a right to be scared!'' King cried. ''That one's been going around, attacking Diva's for months! Who knows what she's capable of?''_

_Ryan Tran, the referee assigned to the match, raised the Diva's Championship belt in the air with both hands before signalling for the bell._

_As soon as it sounded, Sierra flew at Kaitlyn, battering her in the face with elbow forearms. The champion was too surprised to even think about fighting back; all she could do was raise up her arms and attempt to ward off the blows. _

_Sierra drove her into the corner, continuing to pound away at her opponent until the referee had to step in and forcefully pull her away. Shooting a venomous glare towards the referee, she stepped backwards, holding her hands up in surrender as Kaitlyn started to regain her composure._

_The two-toned woman ran towards her with a snarl, Sierra expertly ducking underneath her outstretched arm and grabbing the other; twisting it up painfully behind her back. Kaitlyn managed to struggle out of the hold and turned it back on her opponent._

_''Nice counter by Kaitlyn.'' Michael commented._

_Mimicking Kaitlyn, the challenger spun out of the hold and swung the champion around toward the corner in an Irish whip. The other woman used her strength to her advantage and reversed the momentum, turning so Sierra was the one headed for the corner. _

_Her back connected with the turnbuckle and she winced as Kaitlyn ran towards her, intending to hit her with a shoulder block. She bent down at the last second, reached for Kaitlyn's legs and lifted, sending the women sailing over the top rope._

_The crowd booed as she landed with a hard thud; her face screwed up in pain as her hand clutched her back._

_''Sierra needs to get her back in the ring, she can't win the title by count-out.'' JBL stated matter-of-factly._

_As if hearing the man's comments, Sierra dropped down to the canvas and rolled out of the ring, moving over to where the other woman lay. She reached down and grabbed a handful of her hair, roughly yanking her to her feet before shoving her back into the ring._

_Kaitlyn charged at her sloppily as she entered, the two women locking up in the middle of the ring. It looked as though the champion was going to win the battle of strength until Sierra suddenly stopped fighting against her and pulled her forward; hitting her with a hard knee to the stomach. She vaulted herself off the ropes and hit a swinging neckbreaker before going for the cover, only managing to get a two count._

_''Well, Kaitlyn seems to be having some trouble gaining some momentum here.'' Michael observed. ''Sierra's been in control for the entire match, so far at least.''_

_Grabbing Kaitlyn by the wrist, Sierra dragged her up to a vertical base, only to knock the woman down again with a short clothesline. She dropped down and rolled the champion over, burying a knee in the small of her back and locking her fingers together underneath her chin, stretching her back as far as she could. _

_''Smart move by Sierra, focusing on Kaitlyn's back there.'' JBL commented, a proud tone to his voice. _

_''It is.'' Michael agreed. ''Just a few moments ago we saw Kaitlyn dumped over the top rope and she landed right on her back, Sierra obviously using that to her advantage right now.''_

_The crowd started to rally behind Kaitlyn, clapping their support as she tried to get out of the hold the other woman had her in. After some manoeuvring, Kaitlyn managed to wriggle her way up but found herself still trapped in a headlock. She reared her head back, connecting hard with Sierra's face before dropping to her knee, reaching back and pulling the Latina forward; flipping her over her shoulder. _

_The crowd cheered as Sierra landed one the mat with a thud, her face contorted in shock as she quickly tried to scramble to her feet. Kaitlyn grabbed her as soon as she was upright, hitting her with several forearms to the face, before slinging the woman into the corner, running towards her and ramming her shoulder into her gut._

_''Kaitlyn fighting back here!''_

_Hooking her arms around Sierra's waist, the champion lifted her up to straddle the top rope; the crowd cheering as she climbed up in front of her, knowing what was coming. The champion applied a front face lock to Sierra, draping the woman's arm over her shoulders before grabbing onto her hips._

_''This could be devastating for Sierra!''_

_''Of course it could be, Michael!'' JBL scoffed. ''She's about to get superplexed from the top rope!''_

_Before Kaitlyn could go through with the move, Sierra started to fight back, delivering a few hard clubs to the woman's back with her free arm. Kaitlyn's grip on her opponent loosened under the blows and she soon found herself crouching down, both hands on the top rope as she tried to keep her balance. _

_Sierra planted her hands on the other women's back and pushed off the top rope, sailing over Kaitlyn's body and landing on her feet behind her. _

_''Whoa!''_

_She kept her head in between Kaitlyn's legs, reaching up to grasp her around the hips before stepping away from the ropes, carrying the woman with her._

_''Uh-oh!'' King cried. ''This is bad for Kaitlyn.''_

_''The champion in a vulnerable position- whoa! Powerbomb!''_

_Sierra hit the woman with a powerful sit-down powerbomb in the centre of the ring, immediately going for the cover._

_''Shoulders down and- Kaitlyn just barely kicked out before the three!''_

_The crowd let out a roar as the woman kicked out, Sierra letting out a scream as she pulled at her hair in frustration. She got to her feet and stalked over to the corner, climbing up to the top rope with a steely look on her face._

_''Sierra! Going for the DeltaWave.'' Michael cried. ''And- Oh!''_

_Kaitlyn rolled out of harms way as Sierra plummeted to the mat, landing with a loud thwack. She had no time to recover with the other woman quickly pulling her to her feet and hoisting her up onto her shoulders in a fireman's carry._

_The crowd cheered as Kaitlyn extended her arms ready to drop Sierra down onto her knee, only for the other woman to gather her wits and counter; planting her with a hard DDT._

_''Oh my God!''_

_This time when she went up top for her finisher, Kaitlyn remained motionless in the middle of the ring, unable to move out of the way. She rolled over and hooked Kaitlyn's leg, the referee appearing at her side instantly, his hand slamming down on the mat. 1...2...3._

_''We've got a new champion!'' JBL shouted happily._

_''Sierra, winning her second Diva's title!''_

_The crowd were jeering as the bell sounded, Lillian Garcia announcing her as the new Diva's Champion as the referee handed her the pink and silver butterfly belt. Sierra practically snatched it from his hands as she rose, crushing it to her chest as a grin spread across her face._

_''That's two wins for The Shield here tonight.'' Michael pointed out._

_''Urgh.'' Jerry groaned. ''That's two wins too many.''_

_''They won their matches fair and square.'' JBL leapt to their defence. ''Sierra earned that Diva's Championship.''_

_Sierra had climbed to the top rope, and from her six-foot-high vantage point, she hoisted the title belt into the air proudly._

* * *

A/N - So, Alexa finally got her Wrestlemania moment. Next chapter's going to where the drama starts! Can't wait to see what you all think!


	63. Chapter 63

**Monday 8th April**

Alexa smothered a yawn as she wheeled her luggage out to the parking lot to meet Jon, Joe and Colby; the group ready to set out on the five and a half hour drive to Boston for Main Event and the Smackdown taping the following day.

Raw that night had been one of the best shows she had been at since her return. As was expected, the sixteen thousand strong, post-Wrestlemania crowd was more passionate than usual; for three straight hours, they chanted loudly and proudly, it was awesome.

The roof had nearly blown off the IZOD Center when 'Dolph' had finally cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, the pop he had received was probably the biggest she had ever heard; when the referee's hand hit the mat for the three-count, the roar had been deafening. It looked like he was finally getting what he wanted; the chance to break out and do big things for the company.

''Sierra!''

Alexa turned to find a small group of fans near the back of the arena and plastered a smile on her face, giving them a wave.

''Hey, can we please get a picture?''

''Sure thing.''

The smaller kids ran off to find their parents after she had signed a few things for them and posed for a few photos; leaving two guys that appeared to be around her age. She scrawled her name on a few magazines for them before picking up her case and getting ready to go, when she heard them mumble among themselves before one of them spoke up.

''So, which member of The Shield are you banging?''

''Seriously?'' She cocked an eyebrow, not amused in the slightest but deciding to humour them. ''Well, which one do _you _think?''

''I'm thinking Reigns, chicks seem to dig him for some reason.''

She snorted softly, shaking her head. ''Well, you're wrong.''

''That mean it's one of the other two? Or are you free and easy?'' He smirked, stepping towards her. ''Because if that's the case then how about I take you out?''

''Uh, thanks for the offer but I _do _actually have a boyfriend. He's waiting for me right now, actually, and we really need to get going.'' She started to wheel her back, eager to get away from them. ''Thanks for coming to the show, have a good night.''

He stepped in front of her, blocking her path. ''You think you're better than me because you're a 'Diva'?''

''No, not at all, I do-'' She cut herself off, taking a deep breath to calm herself down while her eyes scanned the area, hoping that because she was taking so long, maybe one of the guys had come looking for her. No such luck. ''Can you move, please?''

''What are you going to do if you don't?'' The mouthy one asked, getting up in her face.

Alexa recoiled as the strong scent of alcohol hit her nose, irritation starting to get the better of her. ''If you move now, maybe I won't kick your ass.''

The pair laughed, the one in front of her leaning in suddenly to try to grab her.

''Hey!'' She dropped her case and used both hands to shove the man back, sending him stumbling back into his friend. ''Back off!''

''You saw that guys, right?'' He glanced at his friend. ''She put her hands on me. That's assault.''

The other one nodded. ''You should sue!''

''Hey! What's going on here?''

Alexa had never been more relieved to hear a familiar voice, the woman keeping her nervous gaze on the pair in front of her as Phil's form appeared in front of her.

''There a problem?'' He asked, glancing between the two men as his fists clenched at him sides.

''No!'' One said, holding his hands up defensively. ''No problem here, dude, we were just kidding around.''

''Playing around?'' A humorless laugh escaped his lips. ''It didn't look that way to me. It looked like you fucktards were being rude to someone who was nice enough to stop and sign your shit for you.'' He stepped closer to them, towering over the much smaller men. ''I suggest you apologize before I do something I'll reg- no, I wouldn't regret it... Apologize!''

''We're sorry.''

''Yeah, sorry.''

''Good. Now get out of here before I kick both of your pathetic asses.'' Phil hissed, shaking his head as the two quickly scurried away, not needing to be told twice. He turned to Alexa, concern clear in his eyes as he looked her over. ''Are you alright?''

''I'm fine.''

Avoiding his gaze, she picked up her bag and pushed past him, starting to walk away. She knew she was being rude, especially after what he had just done, but she couldn't help but be angry with him. Over the past few weeks, Phil had become distant and aloof, leaving her wondering what the hell was going on. They used to be so close but recently it seemed like he was doing his best to avoid her, like their friendship meant absolutely nothing to him.

''Wait, Lex-''

''Just leave me alone, Phil.''

''I just want to make sure you're alright.''

''Please.'' She let out a loud scoff, turning on her heels to face him angrily. ''Don't pretend like you care.''

''What? Of course I fucking care!'' He insisted, stepping towards her.

Alexa took a step forward too, jabbing a finger into his chest. ''Yeah? Maybe you should start acting like it.''

''Me?'' He barked out a laugh. ''You shouldn't be walking through dark parking lots by yourself, Lex. Where's Jon, huh? Maybe your boyfriend should be the one acting like he cares.''

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ''What's Jon got to do with this?''

He opened his mouth to respond before abruptly closing it, dropping his gaze to the asphalt.

''Phil?'' She prompted softly.

''Just go, I'm sure they're waiting for you.'' He mumbled, turning around to head back to his tour bus.

Dumping her bag on the floor, she dashed in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him stubbornly.

''You're not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on with you.''

He sighed. ''Come on, Lex, I'm really not in the mood-''

''I don't care. I deserve an explanation for why you've been acting like such a dick to me recently.'' She said calmly.

''I just... look, it doesn't matter, okay.''

''It does matter!'' She cried, her frustration getting the better of her. ''We've been friends for over ten years, Phil, we've always been there for each other. You know you can talk to me about anything but you've just been ignoring me and it's been making me feel like shit... Is it something I've done? Because if it is, then I'm sorry.''

''It's nothing you've done.'' He promised. ''I never meant to upset you.''

''Well, you did... are you going to tell me what's going on, or not?''

His eyes bore into hers for what felt like forever, before he shook his head, eyes dropping back down. ''I can't.''

''Bullshit.'' She scoffed, taking a few steps back and reaching down to pick up her case. ''Nice to know our friendship means so little to you.''

Alexa started to stalk away, only managing to make it a few feet when he jumped in front of her. She didn't have the chance to utter a word, the man moving forward and covering her lips with his in a heated kiss. It took her a few seconds to recover from the shock and she roughly shoved him away, delivering a hard slap before staring at him in dismay.

''I'm sorry.'' He panted, eyes wide in horror. ''I didn't- I'm sorry.''

''I... what the fuck, Phil?'' She asked shakily, stepping back as he made to move forward to comfort her. ''I'm with Jon!''

''I know that, don't you think I don't know that?'' He growled, running his hands over his head. ''I shouldn't have done that, I-''

''No, dude, you shouldn't have.''

Alexa jumped, turning around to find the source of the voice and finding Colby walking towards them, a stony look on his face. He went to move past her to confront Phil, but she quickly stepped in front of him, her eyes silently pleading with him not to.

Colby sighed, turning to send a glare the other man's way instead. ''You should go.''

Phil nodded at the man before sparing her a glance, swallowing heavily as he slowly walked away, wondering what he had just done.

Alexa's eyes started to burn as she watched him walk away and she blinked a few times, but the feeling persisted. She bit down hard on her lip, hoping to stop it from quivering as Colby looked down at her in concern.

''You alright?''

''Yes... No... I don't know.'' Her voice broke as the tears that had threatend to spill, trickled slowly from her violet orbs. She reached up and rubbed at her eyes as she let out a groan. ''Oh my God... what am I going to do, Jon-''

''Hey, calm down.'' He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. ''What exactly happened?''

She wiped at her face again, tears rolling down her cheeks as she briefly explained the past ten minutes to him.

''It's okay.'' Colby said, his voice soothing. ''It's okay. Come on, Jon and Joe are probably wondering where the hell we are.''

He started to lead her through the parking lot before she could protest and within moments she could see the two men waiting in front of their rental. Joe was leaning back on the side of the car while Jon was standing beside him, arms crossed over his chest and an impatient look on his face.

''About fucking time.'' He grumbled as they moved closer.

Alexa didn't say anything as Colby took her bag from her, moving around the car to throw it in the trunk.

Joe pushed himself from the car. ''What took so long?''

''I... uh...''

''She had some trouble with some fans that were hanging around.'' Colby interjected as he re-joined them.

Jon was by her side instantly, eyes roaming her body as he checked her over. ''Are you okay?''

''I'm fine.'' She shrugged him off, avoiding his gaze and missing the hurt look on her boyfriend's face as she stepped towards the car. ''Can we just go.''

* * *

**Well, there it is... please, let me know what you think :)**


	64. Chapter 64

**Tuesday 9th April **

Alexa's lungs burned as her legs pounded on the tarmac, music blasting into her ears through her headphones.

She had always loved running, it almost felt like flying.

Also, it gave her the opportunity to be alone with her thoughts without any distractions. The events of the previous night had really thrown her for a loop and she didn't know what to do. Should she leave Phil alone and let him deal with whatever it was that he was feeling or should she try to talk to him? How long had Phil been feeling that way? Should she tell Jon what had happened?

Her mind was full of all these questions and she just couldn't find the answer.

All she knew was that she didn't want to lose Phil as a friend, she had to figure out a way to fix this.

* * *

If someone had even given her a hint of what was about to happen, she would have just carried on running and never looked back.

''So, how long has it been going on?''

Those were the words that greeted her as she entered the hotel room, just coming back from her morning run. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she glanced over to Joe, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, the man pointedly avoiding her gaze. A sense of soul-numbing, overwhelming dread swept over her as he eyes drifted back to her boyfriend.

''How long has _what _been going on?''

He walked over to her, his expression cold as he shoved his phone in front of her. ''Don't play dumb, Lex.''

Her heart dropped when she saw a photo of Phil kissing her on the screen.

''Are you serious? You- you think I'm cheating on you? With Phil?'' She couldn't help but let out a small laugh of disbelief as she looked over at the Samoan. ''You too, huh?''

''Well, it sure fucking looks that way!'' He shot back angrily. ''So, how long has it been going on?''

''There is _nothing _going on!''

''Then why the fuck is there a photo of you kissing him all over the internet?!''

''He kissed me! I-''

''Look!'' He showed her the photo again. ''Doesn't exactly seem like you're fighting him off!''

''Where's Colby? He-''

''Why?'' He demanded with a sneer. ''You fucking him too?''

''I don't have to listen to this.'' She muttered, turning to storm out of the room, only for him to reach out and forcibly pull her back.

''Calm down, man.'' Joe spoke softly from the bed.

''You're not going anywhere until you tell me the fucking truth.'' He hissed.

''I am telling you the truth.'' Alexa swallowed the lump in her throat, glancing across at Joe uncertainly but getting nothing but a blank stare from the big man. ''There's nothing going on with Phil, okay? He kissed me, I pushed him away. End of story.''

''Bullshit.'' He shook his head. ''I knew, I fucking knew you two were too close to just be friends! I bet you asked for that angle between the two of you! All you've talked about these past few weeks is him, and how upset you are that he was being so distant. What happened, huh? Did he finally wake up and smell the roses? Did he cut you loose and you were so upset because you realized that you were stuck with me?''

''No! Jon, what the fuck? Stop-''

''I'm not going to stop, alright? I've done nothing wrong, you're the cheating whore here, not me!'' Jon roared angrily, his eyes dark with fury.

''Fuck you!'' She shouted, defensive anger overwhelming her.

''No, fuck you!'' He shot back. ''I fucking knew this was too good to be true! Why would anyone like you be interested in someone like me, huh? But now it makes sense, you were stringing us both along, keeping your options open... well, it's backfired, sweetheart, we're done.''

Alexa's heart was pounding in her chest as she gaped at him. ''Jon-''

He moved towards the door and yanked it open, stalking out of the room while she stood frozen, not quite believing what had just happened. It took a few moments for her brain to catch up with her body and she jerked after him, before a large hand clamped down on her shoulder.

''Don't.''

She had forgotten about Joe, turning to face him helplessly. ''What? I need to go after him, make him see that he's wrong and-''

''Is he?'' He asked, eyes steely as his hand dropped from her shoulder. ''He's just calling it how he sees it.''

''Joe-''

''Just leave him alone. If I were you, I'd get your stuff out of here and make sure you're not here when we come back.''

Alexa flinched at his harsh tone, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip until she tasted blood, refusing to let herself cry as she watched him follow after Jon, the door slamming shut behind him.

* * *

''You really need to slow down, we've got a show later.''

''So? I'm not wrestling, who cares?'' Alexa shrugged before gulping down another vodka shot from the mini-bar in Chris' hotel room.

After her confrontation with Jon, she had calmed herself down, packed up all her stuff, turned up at his door and promptly burst into tears. As always, the Canadian had comforted her without question, once again reminding her exactly why he was her best friend.

''What are you going to do?'' He rolled his eyes when she shrugged, quickly darting in front of her before she could grab another drink. ''No! You are cut off, young lady.''

Scowling, she was about to protest when there was a knock from outside, the blonde moving away from her to stride over to the door. She quickly grabbed another mini-bottle while he wasn't looking, unscrewing the lid as he swung open the door.

''Hey, man, I just went back to my room and I can't find anyone.'' Colby's voice floated inside. ''Is Lex with you?''

''Uh, yeah, come on in.''

Colby walked around the corner, his eyes immediately dropping to where Alexa sat on the floor, leaning against the wall by the mini-bar; several empty bottles discarded beside her.

''Hey, what...'' He trailed off, eyebrow raising as she swallowed her mouthful before dropping another empty bottle to the carpet. ''Are you _drinking_?''

''Yep.''

''It's not even lunch time!'' He cried incredulously. ''And we've got a show later, what the hell?''

''Have you been on Twitter today?'' She asked casually.

''No, I've been at the gym all morning.''

''What, no post-workout selfies today?'' Alexa scoffed, reaching for another drink.

''Okay!'' Chris chirped, moving forward and leaning down to pull the woman to her feet before guiding her over to the small sofa in the corner. ''No more booze for you.''

Colby followed them over, dropping down into the seat beside her, his eyes narrowing in confusion. ''What's going on?''

Chris grabbed his phone from his back pocket, pulling up one of the photos that was causing so much drama and dangling it in front of the younger man.

''What the fuck?'' Colby's eyes widened and he snatched the phone from the man's hand, squinting as he got a closer look.

''Jon broke up with me.'' She murmured quietly, her voice cracking at the end.

''What?!'' His eyes shot to hers. ''Didn't you explain what happened?''

''I tried, but he wouldn't listen. He thinks I've been seeing Phil behind his back... he called me a whore and asked if I was fucking you, too.'' She told him, her eyes starting to fill with tears. ''And Joe... he was just super rude and basically kicked me out of the room.''

Colby's jaw clenched, his blood boiling at the situation. ''This is bullshit! How could they- look, I'll speak to them and clear everything up. I saw the whole thing and-''

''And then what? Everything will go back to normal? They both instantly thought the worst of me, they didn't even wait to see what I had to say. I thought they both knew me better than that and for them to think I'd do something like that really fucking hurts. Especially from Jon, I...'' She shook her head sadly, trying not to cry again. ''I just want to get today over with so I can go home, okay?''

* * *

''What the fuck have you done, you stupid asshole?''

The angry cry, mixed with the slamming of the locker room door, drew Jon's attention from taping his wrists; the man looking up to find a furious Colby stalking across the locker room towards him. He had no time to speak as the Iowan lunged forward and grabbed him by the front of his vest, roughly yanking him from the chair and throwing him to the ground.

''What the hell, man?'' He exclaimed, quickly pulling himself to his feet.

''The only reason I'm not giving you a black eye right now is because we've got a show.'' He fumed, pacing angrily in front of him. ''You, my friend, have obviously suffered brain damage or something from all the shit you did in the indies, what the fuck is wrong with you?!''

''I'm guessing this is about Lex, huh? Listen-''

''No, _you _listen.'' He demanded. ''You have, quite possibly, just ruined the best thing that has ever happened to you. I know it looks pretty bad, but that photo you saw is _not _what it looks like.''

''Really?'' Jon sneered. ''Because it looks pretty obvious to me. My cheating slut of-''

The sound of a fist meeting a cheek rang out through the locker room, just as the door to the locker room opened again; Joe stepping inside just as Colby's punch landed.

''Hey!'' The Samoan darted forward, grabbing the man as he tried to swing at Jon again.

''She is not a slut!''

Jon just smirked as he lifted himself from the ground rubbing his sore cheek. ''Well, you would say that considering you've probably had a go too.''

''You fucking piece of shit!'' He yelled, face contorted in anger as he tried to lunge at him again, struggling in the big man's grip.

''Calm the fuck down, dude, come on.'' Joe dragged him backwards, keeping him still for a few moments before releasing him, happy he wouldn't go on the attack again. ''We're going out in fifteen. Lex is waiting by Gorilla, we have to keep this professional, alright?''

A disbelieving smirk curled at Colby's lips and he stepped back towards the door, facing the two men. ''I'm going to say this once, so you better get this into your fucking thick skull; Lex is not sleeping with Phil. _I _am not sleeping with her. The only person she's been sleeping with is you. Though, after this, you'll be lucky if she ever wants anything to do with you again.''

''I don't-''

''Shut the fuck up and let me finish!'' He bellowed, heaving out a sigh. ''Last night, when I went to see what was taking her so long, I saw her and Phil in the parking lot, arguing about something. She turned around to walk away, he grabbed her and kissed her. It was barely even a second before she shoved him off and slapped him. There is no... sordid affair, _he _kissed _her._''

''The photos.'' Joe spoke softly. ''They, uh, they looked pretty-''

''I don't care. You should have listened to her side of the story before jumping to conclusions and calling your girlfriend a whore.''

Silence fell over the room as Colby walked out, Jon visibly starting to pale as his friends words sunk in and Joe hanging his head, both men realizing how badly they had screwed up.

* * *

Since she wasn't needed for the Smackdown taping, Alexa had been given to go ahead to leave after Main Event was over, which suited her just fine; all she wanted was to go home and drown her sorrows in a tub of Ben and Jerry's.

So, after accompanying the guys out for their match and her scripted altercation with The Funkadactyls, she headed straight back to the women's locker room, not stopping to talk to anyone and pointedly ignoring the stares she was getting from everyone around her. The photo was all over social media so it was no surprise that she was already the subject of backstage gossip, luckily, she was no stranger to this and found it quite easy to tune it out. They would soon find something, or someone else to talk about.

As soon as she entered the locker room it instantly fell quiet, everyone stopping their conversations and glancing over at her curiously. Nikki and Brie were over in the corner with Renee Paquette and one of the new girls she had met at Wrestlemania. Eva, if she remembered correctly. The twins both sent her a sympathetic smile before resuming their conversation, the newbie barely acknowledged her and Renee, who she had never even spoken to before, just looked at her in disdain.

Rolling her eyes, Alexa walked over to where she had dumped her bags earlier, ignoring April and Celeste, who were perched nearby.

''Are you okay?'' The former asked, sympathy written all over her face.

''I'll be fine.''

She quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt before shoving her ring gear back into her case and zipping it up. Dropping her case on the floor, she pulled out the handle and forced out a smile.

''I guess I'll see you next week.''

''You're leaving?'' Celeste asked.

''Yeah, there's no point me staying. I'm not on the show and Jon...''

April's look of sympathy turned in to one of concern and she stood, stepping over to wrap her arms around her, Celeste soon joining them in a tight group hug.

''If you need anything, you know where we are.'' April mumbled softly.

Alexa almost smiled. ''Thanks, guys.''


	65. Chapter 65

**Wednesday 10th April**

''Mornin'''

Alexa just groaned, burrowing her head deeper into her pillow.

She had arrived back in Tampa early that morning after successfully managing to change her flight at the airport, she really didn't want to have to wait around for the one she was supposed to be on; her seat was next to Jon and that would have just been unbearable.

Saraya had immediately greeted her with a hug, the small act of comfort finally pushing her over the edge into hysteria. The younger woman spent almost thirty minutes sitting on the floor in their small foyer, Alexa's face buried in the crook of her neck as she sobbed.

The younger woman found herself overwhelmed with the urge to cause Jon some serious bodily harm and after two hours and two bottles of wine, she finally managed to calm her friend down enough to get her into bed; the Brit climbing in behind her and comforting her while she slept.

When Alexa woke up, she was confused to find a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and someone pressed up against her back. Half-asleep, she almost believed it was Jon until she glanced down and found a pale arm, remembering the events of the past fourty-eight hours.

''How you feelin'?''

She just grunted, so many emotions were running through her that she didn't know how to respond. She was confused that Phil had done a complete one-eighty; completely ignoring her one minute and kissing her the next. The way Joe had treated her had really upset her; she knew he and Jon had developed a really close friendship, the same way she and Colby had, but she thought he was her friend too.

And Jon... well, she couldn't decide if she was hurt, or pissed off. She had spent a lot of the previous evening crying and now she was starting to lean more towards the latter.

''Lex?''

She snapped out of her thoughts, twisting her neck to look at the woman behind her. ''Hmm?''

''You alright?''

''Honestly? I don't know... I don't know what to do.''

''You're phone's been going off all morning, it's driving me barmy.''

''Jon?'' She whispered.

''No. Colby. Joe. Chris...''

''If Joe's calling me, Colby must have spoken to them... why isn't Jon calling?''

''Because he know's he fucked up.'' Saraya responded firmly. ''Next time I see the bastard, I'm going to break his bloody kneecaps.''

Alexa let out a small snort. ''I'd pay to see that.''

''You had a few calls from Phil, too.''

''Urgh... he's delusional if he thinks I'm talking to him right now, this is all his fault. If he'd just kept his grubby lips away from mine, none of this would be happening right now.''

Anything the Brit was going to say was interrupted by a loud banging coming from their front door, the two women shifting on the bed to face each other.

''You expecting anyone?''

Saraya shook her head. ''If it's Jon, do I let him in?''

''No.'' She replied quickly. ''I can't speak to him right now.''

''Okay.''

* * *

Jon had been standing outside for almost ten minutes, trying to figure out exactly what he was going to say to Alexa to make things right. He had originally been planning to talk to her after the taping, or at the airport while they waited for their flight, he hadn't expected her to just up and leave early.

So he got on his scheduled flight, suffering Chris' angry glares every time he looked around. Colby, who had been sitting beside the empty seat meant for Alexa, had steadily ignored him the entire time. The silence had given him plenty of time to dwell on the fact that he had probably just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Deep down, he knew there was no way she would ever think of cheating on him. She was one of the most loyal people he had ever met.

Colby was right, he should have waited to hear what she had to say before jumping to conclusions and letting his own insecurities get the better of him. Seeing the photo and all the words and theories the fans had come up with, he let that get in his head. He hadn't meant for all of those awful words to spill out of his mouth, but he just couldn't help himself.

Jon's head snapped up as the door swung open, Saraya's distinctive voice immediately following.

''What the fuck is wrong with you?''

''Look, I just... I need to talk to her.''

''How do you even know she's here?'' She arched an eyebrow. ''Maybe she's out screwing some random guys.''

''Okay.'' He heaved out a sigh. ''I deserved that... how is she?''

''How do you think she is?'' She said sarcastically. ''She was in such a state last night that it took a few bottles of wine to calm her down and then I had to stay with her while she cried herself to sleep.''

He hung his head, guilt washing over him. When they first got together he promised that he would always be there for her. He should be in there comforting her but instead he was the one causing her pain.

He looked back up at Saraya, a forlorn expression marring his face. ''You're not going to let me in, are you?''

''Nope.'' She confirmed, crossing her arms over her chest. ''She doesn't want to see you.''

''Fine.'' He mumbled, visibly deflating. ''Tell her... tell her that I'm sorry and that I love her, okay?''

''Sure.'' Saraya bit her lip; it was hard not to feel sorry for him when he looked so miserable. ''Jon... just give her a few days, yeah?''

* * *

A/N - First of all, massive thanks to asherandjeanclaude, Rossi's Lil Devil, xSamiliciousx, StephanieLockedInTheTARDIS, UntilNeverDawns, ThatGirl54, Sarcastic Nightmare and Teanni for your reviews. They mean a lot and really motivate me to keep this story going.

Sorry this chapters a short one, I'm still trying to figure out where I want this to go; I'm torn between having them make up quickly or dragging it out for a little while...

:)


	66. Chapter 66

**Sunday 13th April**

''You can't stay here forever, you know.''

''I'll be out of your hair tomorrow.''

''It's not that, you're welcome to stay here as long as you want. But you're going to have to talk to him eventually, you know that, right?''

Alexa nodded, sending a small smile Jason's way as he poured her a cup of coffee. ''I know.''

After Jon's visit, she had decided that she wanted to put off seeing him as long as possible to give her time to get her head together. She knew if she stayed at home she would just spend all her time off moping around the house, especially with Saraya so busy at NXT, so she had decided to pay a visit to her second-favourite Canadian. He was still on a leave of absence due to his shoulder injury, so she thought it would be nice to see him for a few days.

''Besides, if you stay here much longer, people are going to start talking.'' He teased lightly, handing her the cup.

''Who cares? I'm already the bike of the company according to TMZ. Everybody's had a ride.''

Jason snorted, sliding into a seat at the breakfast bar opposite her. ''Don't worry about what the dirt sheets say. Anyone who knows the real you, knows that it's all a bunch of bull.''

She shrugged, staring down into her mug. ''I thought Jon knew the real me.''

''Yeah, well, he's an idiot.''

''What do you think I should do?''

''You're seriously asking me for advice?'' He raised an eyebrow in surprise. ''The old Lex would never have dreamed of asking someone else for help.''

''Yeah, well I figured since you're all old and shit now, you can share some of that wisdom with me.''

''Cheeky bitch, I'm not old!''

''Dure, you're almost fourty, you're like a geriatric.'' She joked, chuckling at his unimpressed expression. ''Want me to get you a walker for your birthday?''

''God, I don't remember you being this annoying.'' He muttered, taking a sip of his drink.

''That'll be the old age.''

''You want me help, or not?''

''Sorry.'' She mimed zipping up her lips, her eyes shining with mirth.

''Do you love him?''

''Yes.''

''Why?''

''What?'' Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

He let out an exasperated sigh. ''Just humour me.''

''I don't know, he's just... he's amazing. After everything with Randy, I honestly thought I'd never be able to let anyone in again and I'd die a lonely old cat lady. Which would suck, because I hate cats... but then I met Jon and he kind of crept up on me. It's kind of awesome that there's someone out there who knows everything about me, someone who isn't genetically or legally required to love me, but does so anyway.''

''Then that's all you need, there's your answer.'' Jason reasoned. ''Look, the worst thing you can do is let your head second guess your heart. Nobody's perfect, Lex. It's obvious you love him and that he makes you happy, don't let one mistake ruin everything you two have.''

''You're right. I mean, I'm still pissed that he said all that stuff, but I don't want to lose him.'' She nodded, chewing her lip as she mulled over his words. ''But, I'm still going to make him sweat for a while longer.''

''Attagirl.'' He chuckled, raising his arm for a high-five.

She rolled her eyes, slapping her palm against his before shooting him an expectant look. ''So, what's this big thing you and Denise are keeping quiet?''

''What?''

''Please, you two have been acting weird.'' She raised an eyebrow. ''Whispering and then as soon as I walk into the room you both go quiet... come on, spill.''

He stared at her for a few seconds before sighing. ''Okay, fine, but you have to promise not to tell _anyone_.''

''I promise.'' She swore. ''I still haven't told Adam that you were the one who shrunk all his tights that one time, or that it was you who cut all the crotches out of Randy's trunks after we broke up.''

''That's true.'' He nodded, smirking at the memory. ''Denise is pregnant.''

Alexa just stared at him for a moment as what he had just said registered in her mind before a huge grin appeared on her face. ''Oh my God! That's amazing!''

''I know, right?'' He smiled happily. ''We've been trying for a while now, so... yeah, it finally happened.''

''I'm so happy for you guys!'' She squealed. ''When's she due?''

''Beginning of November.''

''This is awesome! I can't believe this, you're going to be the best parents anyone could ever hope for.''

''Thanks, Lex.''

''You know, this is going to sound weird, but you and Adam were always so close, I used to imagine you two, like, co-ordinating and having kids at the same time. Then they would grow up and be best friends like...'' Her mouth dropped open as the man's eyes shifted away from her and he fidgeted in his seat. ''No fucking way! Adam and Beth? Seriously.''

''We didn't plan it or anything, but yeah, I found out a few days ago. He called me from New York to tell me and I was like, 'hey, we're pregnant too,' it's crazy.''

''Are they due around the same time?''

''Yeah.''

''Man, that's nuts... I can just see it now; Wrestlemania fifty-five, Christian and Edge walking out with their children as they go to battle.''

Jason laughed. ''That would be so cool.''

''It would totally 'reek of awesomeness'.''

* * *

**Monday 15th April**

_I love you - Jon._

_Jon's been round twice today, he brought flowers and chocolate. I may have eaten the chocolate... - Saraya._

_We need to talk - Jon._

_When's your flight to South Carolina? - Colby._

_Can we talk? - Phil._

_You here yet? We need to go over our match? - Colby._

_Let me know if you need a ride home after the show - Chris._

_Where the hell are you? - Colby._

Alexa quickly typed out replies to Colby and Saraya before shoving her phone back into her pocket, quickly making her way through the backstage area of the Bi Lo Center. She had been stupid enough to decide to fly out early this morning rather than catch a flight last night, big mistake. There had been delays all day, meaning she had arrived at the arena just two hours before the show was due to start.

Celeste barely looked up from her phone as Alexa burst into the women's locker room. ''You're late.''

''Yeah, my flight was delayed and then they couldn't find my bags.'' She huffed, lifting her bag up onto the bench before un-zipping it, yanking out her gear for the night.

''Here's your script.'' The Texan grabbed the wad of paper that was beside her and threw it in the other woman's direction. ''You haven't got any promos or anything, but me and Daniel are facing you and Colby later.''

Alexa arched an eyebrow. ''Really?''

''Yep. The figured since The Shield will be feuding with Team Hell no over the next few weeks, they'd tease it a bit now. So, You better get ready quick so we can go and meet the guys and go over the match.''

''On it.'' She replied, starting to strip off her clothes as she looked around, taking notice of the empty room. ''Where is everyone?''

''Oh, I think they're filming stuff for Total Divas.''

She nodded, vaguely remembering seeing a bunch of unfamiliar cameras on her way in. ''April?''

''She's with Nick and E.'' Celeste replied, looking at her curiously. ''So... have you and Jon sorted things out?''

''Not yet.'' She pulled on her shorts and dropped down to take a seat beside her bag before slipping on her kneepads. ''I'm going to talk to him later.''

''Phil stopped by earlier looking for you. He, uh, seemed pretty upset.''

''Yeah?'' Alexa asked disinterestedly, grunting as she pulled on her boots.

''He's taking a sabbatical after tonight.''

''What? Why?''

''Apparantly he's got some nagging injuries that need to heal.''

She frowned, feeling immediate concern for her friend. ''Nothing serious though, right?''

''Not as far as I know.''

* * *

''High-flying hotties are in business!''

Alexa laughed, high-fiving Colby as they made their way backstage. They had picked up the win and the match had been well received by the crowd, the pairs high-flying styles meshing well together.

''We do make a pretty good team.''

Colby nodded, grinning at her as he jerked his hand behind him. ''We should ditch these two and just form our own tag team.''

Her smile faltered when she remembered who was trailing behind them, glancing back to find Jon's intense gaze firmly on her. Shifting her eyes slightly to the left, she found Joe also staring at her guiltily.

''You need a ride back to the hotel after the show?''

''No, I'm heading straight home.'' Alexa turned back to Colby, shaking her head. ''They've taken me off the taping tomorrow so I can help run a training session at the Performance Center with Sara.''

They continued their journey in silence, made awkward by the fact that she could feel the two men behind staring at her the entire time. So, she let out a relieved sigh when they finally came to the women's locker room, reaching for the door handle just as Colby spoke.

''I'm going to head back to the locker room.'' He said, shooting pointed looks at the two men before smiling at her. ''Give me a call later, yeah?''

''Sure.'' Alexa nodded as he wandered off, watching him for a second before her eyes came to rest on the men in front of her.

''Lex, I...'' Joe was the first to speak, his voice soft and his eyes conveying just how bad he felt. ''I'm really sorry for the way I treated you, I just... I was lookng out for my bro, you know. But I should've known better. I know you and, despite how it looked, I know you would never do something like that. So, I'm sorry.'' He finished with a sigh, lifting his eyes to meet hers before turning to Jon. ''I'll leave you guys to talk.''

Jon nodded and waited until he had left before opening his mouth to speak, but Alexa quickly beat him to it.

''Look, I'm supposed to be leaving with Chris, like, now, but I have a feeling this conversation's going to take a while. Let me go text Chris and ask him if he minds waiting, then after I get changed we can go talk somewhere, sound good?''

''Sure.'' He replied, reaching out to place a gentle hand on her arm as she reached for the door. ''You know I love you, right?''

''I know.'' Pausing briefly, she nodded and turned to him with a tight smile. ''I love you, too.''

Alexa had just slipped back into the clothes she had been wearing when she arrived at the arena, when a loud knock sounded. She rolled her eyes, heaving out a sigh as she stomped over to the door and swung it open.

''I told you, I... oh, it's you.''

''Can we talk?'' Phil asked softly.

''I honestly don't have much to say right now. I have to go and sort things with my boyfr-'' She cut herself off, her voice snarky. ''Sorry, _ex-boyfriend_ and I think that's more important.''

''I won't keep you long.''

Her mouth dropped open in indignation as he pushed his way past her and walked into the room. ''I said-''

''Just, listen, alright?''

''Fine.'' Alexa crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him expectantly. ''Make it quick.''

''I'm not going to be around for a couple of months, I wanted to make things right between us before I leave.'' He ran a hand over his head, lifting his eyes to meet her gaze. ''I'm sorry, okay? I never meant for all this to happen.''

''What did you think was going to happen?'' She shot back. ''That you'd kiss me and we'd ride off into the sunset together, and live happily ever after?''

''Honestly? I don't know what I was thinking.'' He admitted. ''That kiss was weeks of pent-up frustration. I've been having these... feelings for you and I didn't know how to handle them.''

''Then why didn't you just talk to me? We've been friends a long time, you know you could've just talked to me about it.''

''I wanted to but Scott convinced me not too, he said that maybe if I didn't see you for a while then it would go away.''

''You seriously took advice from Scotty?'' She couldn't help but snort. ''The same man who told me to stick a fork in my outlet to straighten it up, when I said my plugs kept bending?''

A heavy sigh rolled out of Phil's mouth, knowing that she was right; Scott was the last person he should be accepting advice from.

''Look, I'm sorry, alright, but I can't help how I feel.''

''In all the years we've known each other, not once have you ever given me the hint that you felt like this. It was probably just the storyline, making you think-''

''No.'' He forcefully cut her off. ''Don't tell me how I feel, you have no idea. The whole angle we did just dragged up things I thought I'd buried and it's got to the point where I have to say something or I'll regret it.''

''Phil...'' She swallowed heavily. ''What-''

''You don't see it do you, I think I've always felt this way but it's never been the right time-''

''There's never going to be a right time, I don't feel the same an-''

''How can you know that for sure?'' Phil took a step towards her, a look of slight desperation on his face.

''Because I love _Jon_, okay!'' She threw her hands in the air. ''And even if Jon wasn't in the picture, there would still be no chance of me and you happening. You're my friend, Phil, that's it.''

''I had to sit and watch you waste four years of your life with Randy. And who was there for you when it all turned into one, massive clusterfuck? I was. There was a part of me that hoped when you got over everything that happened with him, it would've finally been my chance, you know? That all my past relationships never worked out because I was waiting for you... Then you had to go and meet Jon. Are you really going to make me watch you waste more time on someone who doesn't deserve you?''

''How fucking dare you! Who are you to tell me who does, or doesn't deserve me?'' She glared across at him. ''I love Jon and he makes me happy.''

''You're too good for him.''

''You need to go.'' She told him softly, not wanting to hear any more. ''This conversation's over.''

''Lex-''

''No, Phil!'' Alexa cried, feeling herself buzzing with anger. ''Look, I'm sorry I don't feel the same but that gives you no right to come in here and shit all over my relationship with Jon. I love you like a brother, and I'll always be here for you as a friend, that'll never change. There's a woman out there who's perfect for you, _she's _the reason it never worked out with anyone else. But it's not me. If you really care about me as much as you say you do, you'll respect my wishes and just leave.''

Phil looked like he was about to argue for a moment before he nodded, giving a resigned shrug before stepping out of the room. As soon as she heard the soft click of the door closing, the last remnants of her resolve broke down and her eyes filled with tears as she wondered if that was the end of their friendship.

She didn't have much time to contemplate though, when she suddenly heard a loud commotion from outside the door. Moving across the room, she swung it open and peered out, her eyes widening when she saw Phil and Jon facing off down the hall.

Alexa dashed over and quickly stepped in between the pair, planting a hand on each of their chests. ''Come on guys, leave it.''

Ignoring her, Jon glared at the man opposite him. ''What the fuck do you think you're doing?''

''I'm just trying to make her see what a colossal mistake she's making with you.''

''Oh, I know, I was right outside the door, I heard everything.'' Jon pushed against her hand as she moved forward.

''Look, you're a good guy, Jon.'' Phil tried to placate him. ''But you don't deserve her.''

''And you do?'' He scoffed. ''Please.''

''Jon!'' Alexa tried shoving them back.

''Where were you the other night, huh? When she was getting harassed by fans, _I _had to step in because you were nowhere to be seen!''

''Like I knew that was going to happen?!'' He retorted angrily. ''She's a big girl, she can take care of herself just fine, she doesn't need me around to hold her hand.''

''Phil, just go.'' She pleaded.

''See, Phil, she doesn't want you around.'' Jon snarled. ''If I were you, I'd savour the memory of that kiss, because that's the closest you're ever going to get to this little fantasy of yours.''

There was no holding Phil back after that, something inside him snapped and he launched himself at the other man.

''Phil!'' Alexa screamed, watching in horror as the Chicagoan landed punch after punch. ''Stop it!''

Her cries drew several people running from the locker room to see what was going on; Colby, Joe and Daniel all running over to try to tear them off each other as they brawled.

Colby spared her a concerned glance. ''What the fuck is going on?''

''Get off me!'' Jon sneered, lashing out at Daniel and Joe, sending the two men stumbling back before swinging at Phil.

Alexa pushed past the pair, grabbing one of Jon's arms and tugging hard. ''Jon, please!''

He yanked it away and she stumbled at the force of it before she went back and tried to pry him away from Phil. He squirmed his way out of her grasp but she latched back onto his shoulder and gave it a hard tug, only for him to reel back and send his elbow flying into her face.

Everything froze

She felt the impact on her mouth and instantly knew it had split her lip open, tears in her eyes as she lifted her hand to cover her face in a desperate attempt to ease the throbbing pain.

The two men shuffled to their feet, their attention immediately shifting to her.

''Lex-'' Jon started, his blue eyes holding nothing but remorse.

''See, I told you he-''

''Shut your fucking mouth.''

Everyone stared at her, eyes wide at the calm whisper that came out of her mouth.

''Now, you two listen to me and you listen fucking good, alright? This is the end of it, okay? If I _ever_ hear of you two fighting again, then we're going to have serious fucking problems. Phil, I suggest you get your shit together and leave, I think you've done enough.''

''He starte-''

''You heard her, man.'' Daniel said softly. ''Just go.''

* * *

''Let me see.''

Alexa let her hands drop from her face, revealing the bloody and swollen lip she was now sporting and wincing as Colby dabbed at it gently with a paper towel. She found herself getting Déjà vu; remembering back to when she tried to intervene when Phil and Randy were fighting, that hadn't ended well for her either.

After Phil had stormed off, Colby had led her back to the locker room to get her cleaned up, while Joe and Daniel stayed behind to calm Jon down.

''Is it bad?''

He smiled. ''I've seen worse.''

They both looked over as the door slowly creaked open, Jon's head peeping through the gap briefly before he made his way inside. He held his hand up as she tried to speak, shaking his head as his sorrowful eyes met hers.

''Don't say anything, just listen, alright?''

She nodded reluctantly, a bad feeling settling into the pit of her stomach as his eyes dropped to the floor and he spoke again.

''Look, I know this past weeks been fucked up and that's on me, I shouldn't have reacted the way I did when I saw that photo and I'm sorry. But I've had the last few days to think and hearing everything Phil said to you... I'm sorry you got hurt, I didn't know it was you behind me... I think he's right, you deserve better than me and this just proves it.''

''You...'' Her chest tightened painfully when the meaning behind his words became clear. ''You want to break up, for real?''

Jon shifted uncomfortably on the spot and avoided her gaze entirely. ''Yes.''

''Jon-''

''I'm sorry.''

He left just as quickly as he came, leaving the pair sitting in silence; Alexa trying to hold the tears in and Colby inwardly cursing the man's stupidity.

''Lex?''

She just shook her head, a whimper escaping her lips as she tried to hold it together. The man beside her wordlessly draped an arm around her, pulling gently until she collapsed against his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist.

He ducked his head over hers, his arms tightening around her as she sobbed. ''It's going to be okay.''

* * *

**Let me know what you think!**


	67. Chapter 67

**Sunday 21st April**

''Come on, chica, it'll be fun.''

''Lena, seriously, drop it.''

It had been a week and Alexa had become more introverted and depressed with each passing day. She had tried, on several occasions, to talk to Jon but he wasn't interested; all he had said was that his mind was made up and that she was better off without him.

''Lex, please?''

And to top it off, she had been forced to room with Milena Roucka, aka Rosa Mendes, during their European tour and the woman was close to driving her insane. Almost every night she was out at some bar, coming back to their room at all hours and waking Alexa up, she was exhausted.

She rolled over onto her stomach, fixing her fellow Latina with an exasperated look. ''Can't you take Edwin or Orlando?''

''They don't want to come, I asked them first.'' She told her, coating her eyelashes with mascara.

''Oh, so I'm second choice, nice. Look, I'm not really in the mood to go out. I just want to stay here, order some room service and maybe cry myself to sleep listening to Adele.''

Milena sighed, dropping the make-up on the dresser beside the mirror before turning to look at her. ''You know what I think you should do? Put something sexy on, doll yourself up and come out with me for a night on the town. We can take some selfies and put them on Twitter, show Dean what he's missing.''

''His name's Jon.'' She corrected. ''And he doesn't use his Twitter.''

''Whatever.'' She dismissed, crossing the room and kneeling down beside Alexa's suitcase. Ignoring the woman's protests, she rummaged around inside for a moment before pulling out a deep red, bodycon dress and throwing it over. ''Here, put this on.''

''You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?''

She regretted agreeing to go out with the woman almost as soon as they stepped foot into the first club they came too; Melina had practically abandoned her, heading straight for the bar to see how much alcohol she could force down her neck. It wasn't until then that Alexa realized the other woman had a serious problem, but her attempts to drag her back to the hotel were unsuccessful and she could do nothing but watch as she spiralled out of control.

''Milena, come on, wake up!''

Several hours later, a scared and sober Alexa was desperately trying to revive her; the panic rising when she received no response from the woman who was slumped on the floor in the bathroom of their hotel room.

''Fuck!'' She hissed, eyes scanning the room for something to help.

Her eyes fell on Milena's bag, which had been dropped in the struggle to drag her into the bathroom. Scrambling over to it, she quickly dumped the contents on the floor before picking up the cell phone that had fallen out, scrolling through the phone until she found the number she was looking for.

_''Milena? It's four in the morning, what the hell?''_

Alexa let out a breath of relief. ''Edwin, thank God, it's Lex. Look, Milena-''

_''Is she wasted again?''_

She frowned, his tone indicating that he was used to this kind of behaviour from his on-screen manager. ''I can't wake her up, she's completely out of it. I don't know what to do.''

_''Shit, okay... What room are you in?''_

She relayed the room number and he hung up after promising to be right there. True to his word, five minutes later, a knock sounded at the door and she dashed across the room to let him in.

''How is she?''

''She's a mess.'' Alexa told him, watching as he crouched down in front of Milena and placed her hand over the one that was covering her face.

''I'm not a mess.'' Her words slurred as she finally opened her eyes.

Alexa took a step back. ''I'm going to get her something to drink.''

''There's some vodka in my bag, bring that!'' Milena yelled after her, once again, the alcohol taking over her speech.

Alexa pretended she didn't hear her and returned with a bottle of water from the mini-bar instead. ''No more booze for you, Lena.'' She said softly, pushing the water in her hands.

''Drink it.'' Edwin told her sternly.

''Don't want to.'' She pouted, dropping the bottle next to her petulantly.

Alexa crouched down beside Edwin with a sigh and grabbed the water. She twisted off the cap and literally pressed the open bottle against the other woman's lips, forcing her to take at least one sip from it. Melina sputtered against it for a moment and the moment the bottle was from her lips, her eyes widened she lunged towards the toilet, making it just in time for her stomach to empty its contents.

''Is she like this all the time?''

Edwin nodded tersely, watching as she continued to retch. ''We've been trying to hide it, but it's getting harder.''

''She needs help.''

''I know.'' He turned to look at her sadly. ''But I can't bring myself to go to management.''

''I'll do it.''

''She won't be happy.''

''I don't care, it's for her own good. She's going to end up drinking herself to death if this carries on.''

* * *

**Monday 22nd April**

Despite Milena's protests, Alexa had made the decision to call Mark Carrano that morning, so he could see for himself how bad the situation actually was. He hadn't been overly happy at being called at that time in the morning, but as soon as he saw Milena, he understood their reasoning. He decided to send her home from the tour and was going to arrange a place at a WWE sponsored rehab facility so she could get the help she needed.

After speaking with her and Edwin for a while, he had left, but not before informing Alexa he wanted a meeting with him before the show started. So, after trying to get a few hours sleep, she had said an awkward goodbye to a pissed off and hung over Milena before getting a cab to the arena.

It had surprised to her when she found Stephanie waiting with Mark in the makeshift meeting room and she immediately wondered what she had done wrong. Biting her lip, she gave a gentle knock on the side of the open door, the pair inside turning to greet her with a smile.

''Lex, come in, come in.'' Stephanie waved her inside.

Alexa made her way inside, taking a seat opposite the two. ''Is this about what happened last night? Because if I'd have known-''

Mark quickly cut her off. ''It's not about Milena.''

Smiling, Stephanie picked up a thick wad of papers from her lap and leaned across to had them to her. ''Take a look at this.''

It was a script, similar to the ones the WWE used for their shows, but it was ten times longer. Glancing back up at her boss, her face quickly contorted to show the confusion she felt.

''I don't understand... what is it?''

''That, is a movie script.'' Mark responded.

''Okay.'' Alexa looked back down. ''Why does it have my name on it?''

''You've been offered a role in it.'' Stephanie told her with a grin. ''Remember you did that talk show, and Seth Rogen was on it with you? Well, he's starring and producing a movie that's due to start shooting within the next week and the lead actress has had to drop out due to some family emergency. He had the other producers and the director look at some of your work here, and they've offered you the part.''

Alexa's eyebrows shot up into her hairline as she took in her bosses excited expression, letting out a small laugh of disbelief. ''That's... whoa...''

Mark laughed. ''So, is it something you'd be interested in?''

She chewed on her lip thoughtfully for a moment before replying. ''Look, if I'm being completely honest, I've never really considered... acting... before. It's never been on my radar.''

''Well, this could be a huge opportunity and it could really open up some doors for you.'' Stephanie told her. ''I mean, have you ever thought about what you want to do when you eventually stop wrestling?''

''I... if I took it, what would happen here? I mean, I'm champion and-''

''They say filming will last for just over a month, two month tops. So, if you agree, we were going to have April attack you which would 'injure' you. Celeste would obviously be upset because she wanted her title re-match and that would start up a feud between her and April. We'd have The Shield cut a promo, telling everyone when you came back, justice would be served so they'd better watch out. When you return, we'd look into having you work a program with April, with her eventually winning the title from you.''

''Sounds like you've got it all figured out.''

''Why don't you go away and think about it.'' Stephanie offered kindly. ''I know it's not very long but we really need to know before the show starts so we can arrange your flights and a place to stay.''

Alexa nodded, slowly rising from her chair. ''Thanks, I'll, uh, be back soon, when I've made a decision.''

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Alexa had made her way out to the ring, climbed inside and took a seat in the corner. Leaning against the turnbuckle, she drew her legs to her chest and rested her head on her knees, deep in thought as she watched the crew mill around as they set up for the show.

She had never seen herself as one of _those _performers who would take time away from the WWE to do other projects, her heart was firmly invested in wrestling; always had been, always would be.

But saying that, the offer was exciting and it was one she was seriously considering. She was aware that most of the movies by WWE Studios garnered scathing reviews by both critics and fans alike, but this would be completely different. It was a project which had nothing to do with the WWE, with top Hollywood stars and she knew that it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

She sat that way for a long time, her mind whirring, until footsteps walking towards her caught her attention. Glancing up, she half-expected it to be Chris or Colby, both men's calls had been left unanswered all morning, so she was slightly surprised to find Bryan the one climbing into the ring.

''Hey.''

''Hey.'' He smiled, dropping down in front of her and crossing his legs. ''Everyone's looking for you.''

''_Everyone?_''

''Chris, Colby... Stephanie was asking after you, too.'' He replied, cocking his head to the side. ''So I thought I'd come find you.''

''How'd you know where I was?''

''I remembered that you always come sit in the ring before a show, it helps you clear your head.''

''Good memory.''

''So, what's on your mind?''

Alexa reached down to pick up the script that was beside her, holding it out for him to take.

''Townies.'' He read from the front before his eyes landed on her name in the cast list. ''Wait, you're doing a movie?''

She just shrugged, sitting in silence for a few minutes as Bryan flipped through a couple of pages, snorting out a few laughs before looking back at her. ''This is pretty funny.''

''I know, it looks awesome.''

''So, what's the problem?''

''It's an amazing opportunity and I'm beyond flattered that they've even considered me...'' She looked him in the eye, his face sincere, and sighed. ''All I've wanted to do my whole life is be a wrestler. That's it. I've never even thought about anything else and you know how hard I've worked for it. I'm finally here and people take me seriously, well, as seriously as any woman can be... If I do this movie, I'm scared it's going to take away from all of that and turn me into some kind of joke.''

He took in everything she said and paused thoughtfully before responding. ''Do you remember when we first met? You must have been about seventeen, and you were hanging around with Punk and Cabana before one of the Ring of Honor shows in Philly. You guys were screwing around in the ring and I can just remember thinking that I'd never seen a woman move like that in the ring before. You wrestle like a dude, and I mean that in the best way possible. After we were introduced and I got to know you a little, I thought you were amazing-''

''Bryan.'' She whined. ''I need advice, not for you to stroke my ego.''

''You started training at a ridiculously young age and then went down to Mexico when you were only _fifteen_. You were still a kid and you went places that most guys wouldn't, just to become a better wrestler and to do what you loved. What does this tell you about yourself? Just the fact that you were willing to do that speaks about your love and passion for wrestling. After everything you've been through to get where you are today, nobody's going to take away from your career. Nobody's going to question that _this_-'' He pointed down at the canvas they were sitting on. ''-is where you want to be. The guys in the back respect you because they know you belong here. You're not going to lose that respect just because of a movie. If this is something you want to do, just go for it. Screw what other people think and just do what makes you happy.''

''Thanks Bryan, that means a lot.'' She said softly, still surprised at the man's words.

''No problem.'' He smiled. ''So, what's going to happen if you do decide to do it?''

''They'll write me out with a fake injury while I'm away. Apparently, filming will only last a month, two month tops, so I'll get to keep the title.''

''That's not so bad.''

''Yeah... so, hey, working with the Undertaker, huh? How's that going?''

''Oh my God, it's amazing. He's a really great guy.'' Bryan's face lit up. ''You hear he asked to work a match with Jon at tomorrow night's Smackdown taping?''

''No way?'' A smile broke out on her face. ''I know the guys were excited to work with him but for him to get a singles match, that's awesome.''

The man nodded, looking over at her cautiously. ''Have you guys talked since last week?''

''Not really...'' She trailed off, the smile instantly dropping from her face.

''I'm sure you'll work things out, anybody could see that you two were perfect for each other.''

''Maybe. I'm not so sure anymore. But, thanks.''

* * *

After heading back to let Stephanie and Mark know her decision, she had ran into Danielle; the woman was making her main roster debut as Fandango's new dance partner. The pair chatted for a while before Alexa had made her way to the men's locker room so she could let the guys know what was going on.

She had decided to do the movie and had also decided she would drop the Diva's Championship; she didn't think it was right for her to be gone for so long and still be able to keep it. They were going to film a bit later with April and Celeste both teaming up to take her out before April turned on the other woman, leading to a feud between the two for the title.

''You're seriously going to do a movie?''

''Are you just doing this to get away from Jon?''

''Of course not.'' Alexa narrowed her eyes at the Samoan. ''That's just an added bonus.''

''Lex, come on-''

''Look, I've made my decision, okay?'' She told them gently. ''This is something I want to do. If it backfires, then at least I tried something new. And if it goes well, then great; I'll have something to fall back on when I retire.''

The two men shared a brief look before Colby forced a smile on his face. ''I'm happy for you, Lex.''

''Yeah?'' She asked, unconvinced.

''Of course.'' He pulled her into a one-armed hug. ''But we're going to miss you, it's going to be really weird without you around.''

''It's not for long, I doubt you'll even notice I'm gone.'' She assured him before moving over to wrap her arms around Joe. ''But, I'll miss you guys too.''

He gave her a gentle squeeze in return. ''Are you going to find Jon before you leave, say goodbye?''

Stepping away from him, she shook her head sadly. ''I've been trying to talk to him all week, what makes tonight any different?''

''Maybe he...'' Joe scratched his head, not really having a reason for his best friend's actions. ''He'll come around, Lex.''

''Look, I love him... so fucking much but he broke up with me. _Twice_.'' She said, her voice cracking slightly as she tried to keep it together. ''I can't force him to want to be with me. It took me twenty-something years to learn how to love myself, I don't have that kind of time to convince somebody else.''

Colby clenched his jaw, feeling his heart break as he watched her blink a few times, keeping the tears at bay. ''Lex-''

The door suddenly swung open with a loud clang.

''Hey, guys, we-'' As soon as Jon's eyes landed on Alexa, he cut himself off quickly, an awkward silence immediately falling over them.

She swallowed heavily before shooting a smile at Joe and Colby, making a point not to look in the other man's direction as she moved towards the door. ''I'll, uh, leave you guys to it.''

''Hey!'' Colby jogged over to give her another hug before she could step out of the door. ''Give me a call when you get there, yeah?''

''Sure thing.'' She nodded, glancing over his shoulder to smile at Joe. ''See you soon, big man.''

Jon watched on in confusion as she rushed out of the room before fixing them with a quizzical look. ''What's going on?''


	68. Chapter 68

**Sunday 19th May**

_''You trying to break my arm! I'm going to break your face!''_

Alexa snorted as she watched Roman continue to stomp away at Daniel in the corner until he was yanked away by Kane. She had the night off and was lounging on the couch in her hotel room, watching Extreme Rules as she nursed a bottle of wine.

Jon had beaten Kofi to win the United States Championship earlier in the show, and despite them not being together, she was upset that she hadn't been there to witness him winning his first WWE title. It was the same with Joe and Colby; she knew they were about to win the Tag Team Championships and she was missing it. She had been there since their debut and it just felt wrong that she wasn't there to share this with them.

Alexa waited for about twenty minutes after their match to dial Colby's number, the man picking up after the fourth ring.

_''Hello?''_

''Hey!'' She grinned at his exuberant tone. ''Congratulations, you guys were awesome!''

_''I know, right!''_

''Nice to know your modesty is still in tact.''

_''I'm surprised your even watching the show, you know, now you're a mega movie star.''_

''I was actually going to fly out there but they changed my call times and I'm filming tomorrow, so...''

_''That sucks, would've been nice to have you here... how is filming going?''_

''Yeah, really well actually. I don't completely suck, so that's a bonus. But it's awesome, I didn't realize how much fun it would be.''

_''That's great, Lex. I hope you're not planning on abandoning us for Hollywood like The Rock.''_

''Never.'' Alexa promised, taking a sip of her wine. ''Wrestling will always be my number one, you're not getting rid of me that easily.''

_''Glad to hear it. What's it like working with Seth?''_

''Amazing. He's so cool... oh my God, we had to do a sex scene yesterday, it was so awkward-''

_''You have a sex scene?''_

''I've got a few of them, we play a married couple, remember?'' She rolled her eyes. ''I knew you weren't paying attention when I told you about the movie!''

_''I was, I must have just missed that bit... dude, I don't know if I'll be able to watch this if I'm going to have to see you doing... that...''_

''You don't _actually _see anything, besides, they're comedic sex scenes... it's funny, you'll love it, I promise.''

_''Hmmm.''_

''So... how's Jon?''

_''Honestly? I'm not really sure, he's been pretty quiet... he misses you.''_

A pang of sadness hit her and she inwardly cussed herself for asking; what with everything she had been doing with the movie, she'd barely had time to even think about Jon, let alone get upset over it. It was usually when she went to bed and her mind started to wander, that it hit her again.

''Yeah, well... this was his choice, not mine.''

* * *

Jon finished pulling the tap from his hand and scrunched it up into a ball, his eyes moving over to the man in the corner as he spoke into his phone. As soon as he realized who was on the other end of the call, a deep scowl appeared on his face and he angrily tossed the ball of tape in the direction of the bin.

You don't realize how much you truly miss someone until something happens, good or bad, and the only person you want to talk to is the one person who wasn't there.

He really thought he had made the right decision by ending things with Alexa, but almost as soon as the words had left his lips he knew it was the wrong thing to do. She was an amazing person and he loved her more than anything, but he truly believed that she deserved better than him. In trying to do the right thing, he had ended up hurting her and making himself miserable.

''You alright, man?''

''Yeah.'' He replied, ignoring his friends concerned gaze. ''I'm fine.''

Joe's mouth set in a firm line as he watched the man beside him; his attention was focused solely on the one-sided conversation coming from the other side of the room. Ever since the break-up, Jon had been extremely quiet and from his tired appearance, it was obvious he wasn't coping well with Alexa's absence. She had been a huge part of his life for over two years and it was clear to see that he was absolutely smitten with her, just as she was with him. He just didn't understand why Jon had needlessly thrown it all away.

Joe tentatively broke the silence. ''You're not fine.''

''I...'' Looking over at his friend, Jon fought back tears. ''I've really fucked up, man.''

* * *

**Monday 20th May**

''Oh my God! Have you seen this?''

''What?''

''Listen. 'One of our top stories today is that WWE Diva Sierra, has reportedly found a new love interest in the form of actor Zac Efron. The wrestling queen, whose last known high-profile relationship was with Randy Orton, is working with the High School Musical star as they film a new movie in Los Angeles, alongside Seth Rogen'.''

''Lucky bitch! I wouldn't mind a piece of Zac Efron!'' Arpil cried, leaning over to get a good look at the photos on the cover.

Celeste smirked deviously. ''You know, we should totally show Jon this.''

''Show Jon what?'' Colby asked, pausing behind her with a tray of food.

April snatching the magazine from her friend's hands and held it up, showing him the picture of Alexa and Zac making their way down some street in their gym clothes.

''Oh, yeah, they've just been hitting up the gym together while she's in LA.'' The man shrugged. ''She didn't want to go alone.''

''Jon doesn't know that.'' Celeste pointed out with a sly grin. ''Maybe if he sees this it'll finally spur him into action.''

''No.'' Colby shook his head. ''That's probably a bad idea.''

''What's a bad idea?''

The three turned to find Jon, the man suddenly appearing beside Colby and stealing a fry from his tray. Before April could lower the magazine and hide it from his view, his eyes zeroed in on the image of Alexa on the cover. Before he could stop himself, he reached over and grabbed the magazine from her, a bundle of emotions immediately flooding him; jealousy being the most prominent one. Flipping through the pages, he carefully scrutinized the other pictures inside the magazine as Colby, April and Celeste watched him warily.

''Jon...''

Sighing heavily, the man threw the magazine haphazardly on top of the table before slumping into the seat beside April, running his hand over his face. ''What am I going to do?''

Colby slid the tray onto the table before grabbing a seat. ''You wait until she comes back, apologize for being a massive dick and beg her to take you back.''

''Or...'' April started with a grin. ''You find out where she's staying and fly out to surprise her.''

''Big romantic gestures never fail.'' Celeste nodded eagerly.

''Exactly. I'm sure Chris knows where she is, all you've got to do is ask.''

Jon thought about it for a moment before glancing over at the man opposite him. ''What do you think?''

''I think you've got a lot of grovelling to do.''

* * *

A/N - Thanks again to all my reivews, really appreciate each and every one.

Also, if anyone's interested, I've done some manips of Alexa with some of the people involved in the story. You can check them out at my Tumblr - Re-LivingTheDream


	69. Chapter 69

**Wednesday 22nd May**

_WWEBigE: First time in Iowa since I signed with "The Company" nearly 4 years ago. You can find me reminiscing at your local Kum &amp; Go. #HawkeyeState_

_** RealSierra: The Kum and Go... The ejaculate and evacuate.**_

_WWEBigE: Jizz and jet._

_** RealSierra: S****hoot and scoot.**_

_WWEBigE: Blow your load and hit the road._

_** RealSierra: Bust ya nut and off ya strut.**_

_WWEBigE: ...You win..._

Alexa closed down the Twitter app and opened up her messages, finding a new one from Saraya, telling her how much she missed her and that she had somehow managed to break the washing machine. Rolling her eyes, she tapped out her reply before scrolling down to the one of the last messages she had received from Jon before everything had gone to shit.

_I love you._

She gnawed on her lip briefly before doing something she promised herself she wouldn't, she typed out a message, her finger hovering over 'send' for a few seconds before she changed her mind and quickly deleted the text.

''What's up buttercup?''

Shooting her on-screen husband a tight smile, she shook her head. ''Nothing, just thinking.''

He just nodded, dropping down to perch on the bench beside her, watching as the screw set up for the next scene. ''So, we're almost done... what did you think about the whole thing?''

''I'm actually surprised at how much I loved it.'' She smiled at him. ''It's a completely different environment from everything I'm used to and it's so much fun... and working with you guys has been awesome.''

''Ditto. It's been great, you've done so well.'' Seth grinned back. ''You know, the other producers were pretty dubious when I put your name forward for this but I'm so glad they took a chance on you.''

''Me too.''

''And it's nice to see you smiling... the first few days here you-''

''You were a miserable biatch.'' Zac supplied as he took the seat next to her, shooting her a shit-eating grin.

''Leave her alone, man, you're just jealous that she can lift more than you.''

Alexa snorted as the younger man scowled, mumbling something unintelligible under his breath. During her time away she wanted to make sure she kept up with her work-out routine, so she wouldn't be in bad shape when she returned. Zac, being somewhat of a fitness fanatic himself, had helped her join a local gym and had been rather put out when she managed to beat him in a lifting contest.

''That was a fluke.''

She gave him a gentle pat on the back. ''Whatever you need to tell yourself...''

''You going to make an appearance at the wrap party next week?'' Seth asked. ''Or do you have to fly straight back to work.''

''I'll be there. I'm not due back until June sixteenth, so I'm pretty much free until then.''

''Cool... hey, you should see if your boyfriend can make it.'' The Canadian suggested. ''Unless he's too busy.''

''Uh, we're not... we, uh, kind of broke up.'' Alexa told him awkwardly.

''Weren't you guys looking to move into a new place together?'' Seth asked, remembering her comments from the talk show.

''Yeah.''

''Oh, man, that sucks.'' Zac muttered sympathetically, slinging an arm over her shoulder.

Seth did the same on the other side of her. ''Well, it's his loss.''

''Totally, he's an idiot. Look at you, you're fucking gorgeous!''

''Yeah, you can find someone new, like that.'' He clicked his fingers in front of her.

''Yeah, I'll even take one for the team, if it'll cheer you up.''

Seth reached over and slapped the younger man upside the head. ''I don't think she'll ever be that desperate.''

''Yeah, no offence, Zac, but you couldn't handle this.'' Alexa teased lightly. ''I need a _real _man, you know?''

''She's right, dude, I think she'd eat you alive.''

* * *

Jon hadn't really put much thought into what he was going to when he got to LA, deciding that he was just going to wing it. After much persuasion, Chris had reluctantly given him the room number and hotel she was staying in, with a warning that if he ever hurt her again he was getting his ass kicked, Jericho style.

Colby had helped him book a cheap flight from Nebraska to Los Angeles, the only one they had available had been the red eye on Tuesday evening; meaning he had to dash straight to the airport as soon as the Smackdown taping had finished.

What he hadn't anticipated, was her not being in her room.

After knocking for several minutes and receiving no response, he resigned himself to waiting and dropped to the floor, leaning back against the door with a sigh as he closed his eyes.

* * *

''Hey, Lex... there's some dude asleep outside your room...''

Alexa looked up from her purse, she had been in the process of digging her hotel key card from it, glancing down the hall to find that Seth was right. But it wasn't just _some dude_, it was Jon.

Once they had finished shooting for the day, the pair had decided to head to a local bar for a few drinks, along with Zac and a couple of other members of the cast and crew before Seth had given her a ride back to her hotel. She started to feel guilty when she realized that he must have been there a long time, especially if he had fallen asleep.

''Want me to get security or something?''

''It's okay, I know him.''

''Ahhh.'' He nodded, realization dawning on him. ''That the ex?''

''Yeah.'' She said, her heart hammering in her chest. ''Thanks for walking me up.''

''You going to be alright?'' He questioned, starting to head back the way he came at her nod. ''Okay, I'll see you tomorrow.''

Alexa called out a goodbye before turning to the man slumped against her door and speaking softly. ''Jon?''

Receiving no response, she sighed and gave him a hard jab in the thigh with her foot, the man jumping from his spot on the floor. His sleepy eyes landed on her and he scrambled to his feet, hand coming up to rub at his neck.

''Any particular reason you're sleeping outside my room like some kind of tramp?''

''I came to see you...'' Jon gave a little shrug, eyeing her nervously. ''So... can I come in?''

She opened her mouth, half-tempted to say no before snapping it shut and nodding as she stepped over to open the door. He had made the effort and flown all the way to Los Angeles just to see her, she figured the least she could do was hear what he had to say.

Without looking at him, she walked inside and took a step back, widening the door and holding it open for him. Burning holes in her with his gaze, Jon side-stepped into the room and she closed the door behind him, before moving over to the small living area and taking a seat.

He gingerly say down beside her before blurting out. ''I miss you.''

''You came all the way here just to tell me that?''

''And to tell you that I love you.'' He said softly. ''I know I fucked up and I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to speak to me again, but I had to try.''

''You told me that you couldn't stand the thought of losing me, that you'd always be there for me... but then you broke up with me... I told you that I don't need anybody in my life that doesn't want to be there, remember? That goes for you, too.''

''I remember... I also remember telling you that I can be the world's biggest dick.'' He replied, reaching out to take her hand in his. ''I let what Phil said get to me and I'm sorry, it's just... you're this wonderful, perfect person and I can't help but feel like I'm kind of... _unworthy _of being with you. You deserve the best, you deserve someone perfect and-''

''I don't _want_ someone perfect!'' Alexa snapped, effectively cutting him off. ''I want _you_, okay?''

''Want?'' He asked, his tone hopeful at the present tense. ''Does that mean...''

''What it means is that I love you.'' She told him honestly, her eyes starting to well up. ''You know, I used to cringe whenever I heard someone say that everything happens for a reason. I thought it was bullshit, something people would say just to make themselves feel better. But, then I met you... and I realized that every thing I've done, every decision I've made, every single thing that has happened to me has led me straight to you. If any one thing in my life was different, I wouldn't have found myself here, I wouldn't have found you. It sounds really corny, but maybe it's true, maybe some things really are meant to be... I want you. I want us. I want it all. With _you_ and _only_you... but I can't do that if you're just going to walk away from me every time you feel insecure about us.''

''I'll never leave you again.'' Jon shifted closer to her, his thumbs wiping away the stray droplets. ''I promise.''

''I've missed you too... you asshole.''

He leant in for a soft kiss, his hand caressing her cheek. ''I love you.''


	70. Chapter 70

**Monday 17th June**

Alexa grinned, taking a deep breath as she walked through the backstage area of the Van Andel Arena in Michigan. It was her first night back since finising shooting the movie in Los Angeles and it felt like coming home.

Since making things up with Jon, they had only seen each other a handful of times; what with him being busy with shows and her filming in LA. So she was really looking forward to getting back into a routine so things went back to normal.

As she entered the catering area, she spotted two people she had missed almost as much as she had missed Jon. Colby and Joe both had their backs to her, the pair sitting at a table with Bryan, Brie and Nikki as they ate. Smirking, she crept up behind them, placing a finger over her lips to signal the trio to be quiet as they caught sight of her over the top of the pair's heads.

Alexa leaned down to poke her head in between them, slinging her arms over their shoulders. ''Yo.''

Both men turned to look at her, both men doing a double take as the twins and Bryan laughed.

''No fucking way, when did you get here?!'' Colby cried, rising from his seat to tug her into a hug.

They had actually be expecting her the day before, but due to some last-minute script changes they had decided to have her return on Raw instead of at the pay-per-view.

''About an hour ago, I had to go and have a meeting with Steph and Paul.''

''It's good to see you baby girl.'' Joe smiled, pulling her away from Colby and into his arms for a quick hug. ''Jon know you're here yet?''

''Nope.''

The two men re-took their seats and Alexa dropped into the chair beside Colby, greeting the other three with a smile before digging around in her bag. A few seconds later she found what she was looking for, pulling out two envelopes and handing them to Joe and Colby.

The Samoan glanced over at her in confusion. ''What's this?''

She grinned. ''Belated birthday gifts.''

During her time in LA, both men had celebrated their birthdays; Colby turning twenty-six and Joe turning twenty-seven. She hadn't been able to see them on their actual birthdays so she had arranged gifts to give them upon her return.

''Oh my God!'' Colby grinned as he tore open his. ''This is awesome, Leighla's going to love it. Thanks!''

''What is it?'' Nikki asked curiously.

''It's a booking slip for an overnight stay at the Villisca Axe Murder House.'' Alexa told her, laughing at her horrified expression before turning to Colby. ''I did check our schedule but if the date's no good, they said it's cool for you to call and change it.''

Joe slowly pulled out his card, smiling over at her when he found two tickets for a spa day inside. ''Thanks, Lex, this is great.''

''No problem, Fabio. Thought you and 'Lina could do with a nice day of relaxation.'' She told him with a half-shrug. ''As long as you use it within the year, you can pick whatever date you want.''

''Pressure's on for her birthday now guys.'' Brie arched a brow at the two men.

''When _is _your birthday?'' Nikki asked.

''December first.'' Colby answered for her, turning to Alexa with a shit-eating grin on his face. ''And how old are you going to be, Lex?''

''Twenty-eight.'' She grumbled, glaring at him as she pointed to the card. ''I can still take that back, you know.''

''It's okay, Lex, we're turning thirty in November.'' Brie told her with a frown.

''And besides, nobody's as old as Bryan.'' Nikki teased. ''What are you, thirty-five, thirty-six?''

He rolled his eyes. ''I'm thirty-two, actually.''

Alexa, Joe and Colby laughed as the two started bickering, Brie in the middle trying to play peace keeper.

''Hey, what are you reading?'' Alexa asked, reaching over to grab the book that was laying on the table in front of Nikki, raising an eyebrow when she saw what it was. ''Seriously? Fifty shades of grey?''

''What? It's good!''

''More like Fifty shades of awful...'' She mumbled, idly flipping through the pages, snorting as she read through it. ''Listen to this; _'His pointer finger circled my puckered love cave. "Are you ready for this?" he mewled, smirking at me like a mother hamster about to eat her three-legged young.__'_...''

Bryan snorted loudly opposite her as the rest of the table descended into laughter, Alexa continuing her rant.

''Puckered love cave? I mean, what the actual fuck? I've read better stuff on a bathroom stall... _'He's going to kiss me there!'... 'He gives me a wicked grin, the effects of which travel all the way down there'.. _Clitoris! Just say it!''

''I don't think I even want to know what you guys are talking about...'' Jon trailed off, taking in the splutters of laughter and red faces surrounding the table.

In an instant, Alexa dumped the book on the table and was off the seat and in his arms, swallowed up in a warm bear hug.

''Aren't they adorable.'' Nikki cooed.

The Latina shot her a middle finger as she pulled herself out of his arms, planting a soft kiss on his cheek before lowering herself back into her seat; Jon slumping into the one next to her.

Nikki, Brie and Bryan eventually excused themselves before wandering off, leaving Alexa alone to catch up with the three men.

''I'm really glad you guys made up.'' Colby told them happily. ''It was horrible seeing you both so miserable.''

Alexa and Jon shared a look, the man reaching out to hold her hand as he replied. ''Me too.''

* * *

After spending a little while chatting with the guys, she decided to go and search the backstage area for Jason. Her fellow Canadian was making his return that night after a long, ten-month absence. After locating him, the duo spent a little while catching up before parting; Jason to go over his match with Stuart and she left to go over her promo with Stephanie and April.

She was really excited that she would be working with them both; April had become a really good friend to her and she was excited to see what would come of their feud and Stephanie... well, the woman was one of the best on the mic and she felt really privileged to be doing something with her.

Alexa was just heading to gorilla when she heard raised voices up ahead, finding an irate Bryan as she turned the corner.

Paul Levesque was trying to calm him down from behind the desk. ''Look, we _needed_ to stop it, for your own safety. You-''

''You wrestled through a torn quad! Don't tell me what to do, you would've done exactly the same and you know it!''

The pair continued to argue as Alexa came to a stop beside April, who was leaning against the wall, the smaller woman meeting her wide eyes with a similar look of shock.

''What's going on?''

''Bryan hurt his neck when he landed the dropkick, apparently both his arms went numb.'' April explained quietly. ''He's pissed that they stopped the match.''

''I don't think I've ever seen him that angry.'' She mumbled, watching as the medics led her old friend away to get checked out. ''But he must know it was for his own good.''

April just shrugged, grabbing her title belt as her music started to play. ''See you out there!''

* * *

_**RAW**_

_''So, this is what it feels like to have it all...'' AJ gloated as she paced the ring. ''Now, unfortunately, my baby Ziggy couldn't be here tonight because he's not medically cleared. But, soon enough, he will be back and he will share this spotlight with the greatest Diva's Champion of all time. Me! I've always been the champion. Now, I just have proof.''_

_She lifted the belt into the air, an arrogant smirk curling at her lips as the audience booed._

_''Last night, I made Kaitlyn tap out. Did I play mind games with her? Yes. Did I crush her spirit? Yes. But I am the hero of this story. I am a woman who knows how to get exactly what she wants. And that is an example to women everywhere. There is not a woman in this audience, there is not a woman in that locker room, there is not a woman in the whole world who is as strong, brilliant, as courageous as I am... and if there is a woman back there, who thinks she can compare to me, who thinks that she is a fraction of the woman that I am... I dare you to come out right now._''

_AJ looked up towards the ramp expectantly before turning around, a smug look on her face._

_''That's what I thoug-''_

_**Style and grace, I'm never gonna be done, lean on in. **_

_**Now, welcome to the Queendom.**_

_The crowd let out a loud cheer when Stephanie McMahon appeared on the stage, Jerry 'The King' Lawler, JBL and Michael Cole laughing at ringside._

_''Oh, boy!'' Michael chuckled. ''Talk about strong women.''_

_The Billion Dollar Princess strode confidently down to the ring, AJ watching on with an unimpressed look inside._

_''Well, that changed the expression on AJ's face, didn't it!''_

_''This doesn't end well.'' JBL predicted._

_AJ plastered a saccharine grin on her lips as Stephanie entered the ring, skipping over to her as she lifted the microphone to her lips._

_''Hi! Hi, boss lady! Are you here to congratulate me?''_

_''You know, AJ, there is an entire line of Diva's literally waiting to come out here. But I asked if I could say my piece first... you're a true underdog, you know? You're out here and you're riling everybody up and you've got everyone buzzing... you have this amazing, tremendous story and what a victory last night. And, for that, I do say, congratulations AJ.''_

_''Thank you!'' The woman beamed up at her happily. ''Thank you, Stephanie. You see, I knew you would understand-''_

_''Oh, I do understand... but what I don't understand AJ, is why you perpetuate this stereotype about women. That we're vicious and conniving and manipulative... that we'd rather tear each other down than build each other up. You and Kaitlyn briefly put your differences aside, and violently assaulted Sierra... injuring her badly enough for her to have to give up the Diva's Championship... after which, you turned on Kaitlyn... and what you did to her was degrading to women everywhere. It's time, AJ, that you start acting like a champion.''_

_''You know what, Stephanie...'' AJ started sincerely, placing a hand over her heart. ''I'm sorry, you're right. I should be thinking more like you. I should be acting more like you and, instead of dating superstars, maybe I should marry one.'' _

_The crowd jeered as the smaller woman looked up at Stephanie with a vindictive grin._

_''And, let's not get started on your daddy issues-''_

_''AJ-''_

_''That's a whole other can of worms-''_

_''How is it that you so humbly put it before? That you're brilliant? If you're so brilliant, I would've expected something a little more original.''_

_AJ took a step back. ''I am original! What I did to Kaitlyn, that was highly original! All of it! I managed to convince her to help me take out Sierra, knowing that after, I would come out victorious with the title..._ _That was cunning, that was well-planned, well-executed, months in the making... That was my masterpiece!''_

_''AJ, you want to give me those crazy eyes?'' Stephanie ducked her head down to the other woman's level, staring her straight in the eyes. ''Did you forget who you're talking to? I'm a McMahon. Nobody does crazy better than us. Now, if you want to be a Diva's Champion then I suggest, like I said before, you start acting like one.''_

_''I am! I am the Diva's Champion, Stephanie! And the only reason you're even out here, is not because you're disappointed in me! It's because I am you. Only... younger...'' She smirked as the crowd booed. ''And I don't have the fancy pant suit on-''_

_''You know, AJ, you are the Diva's Champion. But, please remember, that I can take all of that away from you. As a matter of fact, if I want to, you won't have a job anymore... I'm sorry, as you were saying?''_

_**SIERRA. HOTEL. INDIA. ECHO. LIMA. DELTA. **_

_**SHIELD.**_

_AJ's eyes widened in horror and Stephanie turned around, rolling her eyes when Sierra appeared at the top of the ramp. The crowd cheered raucously, a loud mixture of cheers and boos heralding the woman's return._

_''Looks like Sierra's back!'' King cried as the woman casually made her way down to the ring. ''And I think she's going to be gunning for AJ.''_

_JBL snorted. ''Well, I don't blame her. AJ just said that she was the one who orchestrated the attack on Sierra. It took her out of action for almost two months AND forced her to give up the Diva's Championship.''_

_Sierra entered the ring, the woman making eye contact with AJ as she moved into the corner to request a microphone. The two women watched her expectantly as she wandered towards them, spinning the mic around in her hand while she waited for the audience to quieten._

_''Stephanie, AJ... I would apologize for coming out here and interrupting whatever... 'this' is, but I'm not sorry at all, and I'm not a liar, so...''_

_''What do you want, Sierra?'' AJ hissed, glaring over at her. _

_''Well, I was back there listening to your little victory speech and, as much as I enjoy when__ people set aside a special time to humiliate themselves in public, __I just had to come out here and clear some things up.''_

_Stephanie stepped forward, her eyes narrowed at the younger woman. ''Now is not the time, or the place, for-''_

_''This won't take long, Stephanie, I promise.'' Sierra's intense gaze was a stark contrast to her honeyed tone, the woman turning back to AJ. ''You think you're a hero, AJ? If you truly believe that, then I guess what everyone says is true. You ARE crazy.''_

_Stephanie watched on in amusement as the petite woman clenched her jaw, seething at Sierra's words._

_''Hero's don't do what you did to Kaitlyn and they definitely don't do what you two did to me... You want to know who the true hero of the story is, huh? It's ME. I am the hero. I am the example to women everywhere. I am stronger than you and every single Diva in that locker room. I am the one came back from a broken neck, just to save this division from pathetic little wannabes like you.''_

_Giving AJ an indulgent smile, Sierra glanced down at the title belt resting on the other woman's shoulder._

_''You ARE an amazing wrestler AJ, I'm not going to dispute that. But the truth is, you don't even compare to me... you're not on my level and you __**never**__ will be... you stole that Championship from me and I __**will **__get it back, but first... I'm going to show you that you made one hell of a mistake when you screwed me over. Believe that.''_

_With that, she dropped the mic to the mat, the thud echoing through the arena as the two women stared each other down in the middle of the ring. Sierra faked a lunge towards the other woman and laughed as AJ jumped back, her eyes wide with fear. _

_''Looks like Sierra's the one playing mind games now!'' JBL chuckled as the woman climbed out of the ring._

_Michael nodded. ''She's obviously taking a page out of AJ's book.''_

* * *

_Boos sounded throughout the arena as The Shield appeared on the big screen, the trio sauntering backstage after Dean Ambrose's successful title defence against Kane._

_''We run this place.'' Seth declared with a smirk as he trailed along behind the United States Champion. ''Kane didn't stand a chance.''_

_Roman just grunted from beside him before looking up as the man in front came to an abrupt halt, his attention the angry woman storming over to him._

_''Who do you think you are?'' Vickie cried angrily, jabbing a finger at the Tag Team Champions as Brad Maddox watched nervously from beside her. ''I told you two __**not**__ to get involved! You need to remember that I am your boss.''_

_Dean looked at her expectantly. ''And now there will be... uh, what was it? Severe ramifications?'' He cocked a brow. ''What are you going to do Vickie? Spank us?''_

_''What are you going to do? You going to slap us on the wrist?'' Seth chuckled. ''You going to put us in time out?''_

_''Nah...'' Dean drawled. ''Vickie, maybe from now on you should think about what you're doing before you do it.''_

_''Are you guys causing trouble again?''_

_The group turned to find Sierra approaching them, the woman crossing her arms as she came to a halt in front of Roman, beside Dean._

_Dean smirked, shrugging an arm over her shoulder. ''Of course not, Si.''_

_''She looks kind of mad...'' Looking over at Vickie, her eyebrows creased in concern and she leaned up to whisper loudly in his ear, gesturing towards the other woman. ''Look at that big-ass vein in her forehead. She-''_

_''ENOUGH!'' Vickie bellowed, making the man beside her jump. ''Enough. I've had enough of ALL of you. Especially you!''_

_''Me?'' Sierra questioned innocently, holding her hands up. ''Hey, I just got here.''_

_''I don't care. You're the reason they're even here in the first place.'' She cried, pointing at the three men. ''You know what? I'm going to do everyone a favour and fire-''_

_''Hey! How you doing, guys?'' Vince greeted as he strutted over to them. ''Vickie, Brad... Sierra. Awesome.''_

_''Thank you, sir!''_

_Vince nodded, shaking the other two men's hands before stepping back. ''You guys remind me, of me... we're talking, ruthless aggression here! Way to go.''_

_Seth, Roman and Dean all chuckled, sending a sour-looking Vickie victorious looks as the boss turned his attention to Sierra._

_''And you, young lady...'' He trailed off, staring at her blankly for a few moments before a grin appeared on his face. ''Good job!''_

_She beamed up at him. ''Thanks, Vince.''_

_''Keep up the good work, guys, and have a good night.''_

_''Thank you.'' _

_''Believe that.''_


	71. Chapter 71

**Tuesday 18th June**

''Kick her ass, Nattie!''

April took the Canadian down with a dropkick before shooting a half-hearted glare towards the announce table, where Alexa was sitting, and flipping her the bird. The woman just laughed and propped her feet up on the barricade, watching on as Nattie and April continued their practice session in the ring.

They were at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio for the Smackdown taping that evening and, as was the norm, most of the roster was congregated around the ring; everyone waiting for their turn to go over some spots for their match.

Alexa didn't really have much to do in the show; Sierra just had a small appearance towards the end of Natalya and AJ's bout; she would come out, stand at the top of the ramp and watch, unimpressed, as AJ beat the veteran Diva.

Although she knew it was a little way off yet, but Alexa was really looking forward to her first match with April. As soon as they had found out they were going to be put in a program together, the pair of them had been shooting ideas back and forth constantly. They had sparred a little in the past and both women were beyond excited for the upcoming feud; the pair just itching to get into the ring so they could show everyone exactly what they could do.

''Sami's invited us out tonight.'' Jon's voice broke through her thoughts.

Alexa flashed him a smile. ''You want to go?''

He just shrugged, vaulting over the barricade before dropping into the seat beside her. ''It's completely up to you, I thought we were going to do something, just the two of us?''

''We can do that any time.'' She assured him. ''How often do you get to see Sami?''

''You sure you don't mind?''

''Of course not.'' She glanced around to make sure nobody was watching before leaning over to place a quick kiss on his lips. ''It'll be fun.''

''I think Jessica is going to be there too, so you'll finally get to meet her.''

Jessica Cricks, was Sami's girlfriend and also a talented wrestler in her own right. She was better known as Jessicka Havok, and Alexa had watched some of her matches on YouTube but had never had the opportunity to actually meet her.

''Awesome.''

''Hey, we-''

''Colby!''

Bryan's bellowing cut Jon off mid sentence, the pair turning to look towards the man in question who was sitting by Joe at the announce table, going over something in the script. The two-toned man was about to respond when another voice beat him to it.

''Colby?'' Randy questioned from nearby, his eyebrows furrowed. ''Who the fuck is Colby?''

Alexa snorted out a laugh of disbelief as Jon raised an eyebrow, shooting her an amused look.

Colby slowly raised his hand as Joe chuckled beside him. ''Uh... that'd be me...''

''I thought your name was _Seth_?''

''Nope.''

''Man, that... weird...''

Alexa's eyes narrowed as she interjected. ''And _Randy _isn't?''

Turning to her, Randy stammered for a moment as he realized how rude he sounded and quickly tried to amend his words.

Colby just waved him off with a laugh. ''It's cool, it is a pretty... unusual, name.''

''There's plenty of people called Colby.'' Alexa called out, pausing for a second as she thought. ''Uh... Colby Armstrong, Colby Bockwoldt, Colby Cohen, Colby Rasmus...''

''Colbie Caillat.'' Bryan added.

''She's a girl.''

''She's still called Colbie.''

''Doesn't count.''

''It does.''

''_No_, it doesn't.''

''_Yes_, it does!''

''No!''

''Yes!''

''N-''

Rolling his eyes, Jon reached over and placed his hand over Alexa's mouth before she could finish her exclamation, her eyes shifting sideways to glare at him.

Randy sniggered, despite himself, before he turned to Colby with an apologetic look. ''Sorry, man, I didn't mean...''

''Seriously, it's fine. I'm not offended or anything.'' The Iowan told him with a smile. ''Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't really care what you think of my name.''

The other man nodded casually and uttered another apology before he wandered off, leaving Bryan to talk to Colby about whatever it was he had wanted in the first place.

Alexa pulled Jon's hand away from her mouth, shooting him a look of disgust. ''Ew, get it away from me, I don't know where it's been.''

''I think you know _exactly _where it's been.'' He leered at her. ''And you weren't complaining last night.''

''You two are so gross.'' Bryan muttered as he walked by them, apparently having finished his conversation with Colby.

''Bite me.''

''You said _that _last night too.''

''Jon!''

Bryan just shook his head and wandered off, Jon's laugh turning into a wince when she delivered a stinging slap to his thigh.

* * *

''Hey, so I kind of wanted to talk to you about something...''

Alexa moved the straw away from her lips and placed her drink down on the table in front of her, shooting the man opposite a curious look.

''Okay?''

Jon cleared his throat awkwardly before meeting her gaze. ''Well, you know we were talking about getting a place together?''

''Yeah.''

''You still want to?''

Biting back a laugh at the nervous expression on his face, she grinned. ''Of course I do.''

''Good.'' He exhaled heavily. ''I was worried that you might have changed you mind, you know, because of... everything that happened.''

''Yeah, that was a bad time...'' She told him softly. ''But I love you and, well, I'm in this for the long haul. You're _it _for me... you know? I'll never want anyone else.''

Jon's face broke out into a wide smile and he rose from his chair, moving around the table to drop into the seat beside hers before covering her mouth with his; their lips gliding over each other smoothly.

He pulled back, his breath ghosting across her cheek as he spoke. ''You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, you have no idea how much I love you.''

''I think I've got a pretty good idea.'' She responded, kissing him softly on the nose.

''Urgh, I think this is my cue to vomit.''

The pair turned their heads, Sami holding his hands up defensively under their withering glares.

''What? You guys are sickening.''


	72. Chapter 72

**Tuesday 19th July**

''I cant believe you're leaving me... _again!_''

''You'll be fine... you've still got Jay.''

''Please. We all know you're my favourite.''

Chris laughed at his friend's pouting face before reaching across the table to give her a consoling pat on the shoulder. ''Lex, you're my best friend... you're acting like we'll never see each other.''

It was the Canadian's last show that night before he took another hiatus, heading off to tour with Fozzy for the rest of the year and probably the beginning of 2014. His career in the WWE was slowly starting to wind down and he had made no secret of the fact that he would never be a full-time wrestler again, due to both his age and his various musical and acting ventures.

But that didn't make it any easier for Alexa; the man had been there since her first day with the company and not having him around as much was really strange. Usually, it wouldn't matter so much because they lived just a short drive from each other, but now she was moving it was likely they wouldn't see each other half as much.

Biting her lip, she lifted her gaze to meet his. ''There's something I have to tell you.''

His eyes widened in horror. ''Oh my God, you're pregnant!''

''What?!'' She cried with a snort. ''No!''

''Oh... then what is it?''

''I'm probably going to be leaving Tampa...'' She revealed slowly, watching his face intently for his reaction. ''Me and Jon are looking at getting a place together.''

''Really?'' Chris' eyebrows shot up in surprise and a small smile broke out on his face. ''That's great, Lex. I'm really happy for you.''

''Yeah?''

''Totally.'' He affirmed, taking a long swig of his Coke. ''I know you two have had your issues recently but I think even a blind person could see that you two were made for each other.''

She smiled softly. ''I was worried you were going to be mad.''

''Why would I be mad? You know I'll support you no matter what, even if I think it's a sucky decision... look at your relationship with Randy.''

She shook her head, snorting. ''Yeah, maybe I should have listened to you on that one.''

''Maybe?''

''If everything hadn't happened the way it did, I might not have got hurt and ended up down at developmental... I wouldn't have met Jon and... you know. Everything happens for a reason and all that.''

''What are you going to do about your place?''

''I'm not sure yet. I mean, I think Saraya's thinking about moving over to Orlando so she's closer to the Performance Center.'' She chewed her lip for a moment. ''I don't want to sell it but I don't think I'd want it just sitting empty.''

''Myaybe you could lease it? I mean, at least then if things don't work out you've got somewhere to go.'' Chris suggested, holding his hands up at her glare. ''Hey, I'm just looking out for you, kid.''

''I know, I appreciate it.''

''Good. So, where you thinking about going?''

''Well, I suggested Philly.'' Alexa leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table. ''I mean, I lived there back when I was in Ring of Honor and I know he's got friends there from his time in the Indies... but he's not keen.''

''He's probably right, you know. If you two are going to start a life together then you need a fresh start.'' He told her wisely. ''What about going back to Canada?''

''Pfft, Jon hates the cold, he says it makes his hip hurt and-''

''It _does _make my hip hurt!'' Jon cut her off, planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek before sliding into the seat beside her.

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. ''I swear, he's like an old man.''

''You're older than me, sweetheart.''

''By _six _days.''

''Still counts, cradle snatcher.'' He teased. ''So, you know, I've been thinking-''

''Which is never a good thing-''

''Shush, you.''

Alexa turned to look at him incredulously. ''Did you just _shush_ me?''

''I did.'' He smirked, loving seeing her all riled up. ''Problem?''

''Yeah, you-''

''Shut up!'' Chris cried suddenly, pinching the bridge of his nose. ''God, you two act like an old married couple.''

Alexa let out a small chuckle, casting a surreptitious look at her boyfriend who had made no outward reaction at the mention of marriage. It was something that they had never discussed, so she was unsure what his thoughts were about it. Hell, she wasn't even sure of her own stance on the prospect.

Clearing her throat quickly, she glanced at Jon. ''What was it you were thinking about?''

''Vegas.''

She blinked at him for a few seconds before repeating uncertainly. ''Vegas?''

He nodded, grinning down at her. ''It's perfect. Nice and warm, there's an airport, there's a ton of shit to do there...''

''It's tax free.'' Chris piped up from the other side of the table.

''And it's tax free.'' Jon echoed.

''Hmm... I don't know...''

''At least _look _at some places.'' The man insisted, slinging an arm over the back of her chair. ''Please?''

Alexa turned to face him, letting out an exasperated sigh when she found him giving her the puppy dog eyes. ''Okay! Fine, whatever.''

''Yes!'' He pumped his fist. ''It's going to be awesome, you'll see.''

She turned back to face Chris as he asked Jon something, zoning out of the conversation as she caught sight of Phil over the top of the Canadian's shoulder. What with her being away shooting the movie and him taking a sabbatical to rest up some injuries, they hadn't spoken at all since that night back in April. He had been part of her life for almost ten years, she missed him and all she wanted was to make things right again, but she didn't know how.

''Go talk to him.''

Alexa's head whipped to the side to stare at the man beside her. ''What?''

Jon nodded his head in the Chicagoan's direction. ''Go on, I know it's been eating you for weeks.''

''He _attacked _you, Jon.''

''He came to see me when he got back and we talked.'' He revealed softly. ''We're all good now, but he knows if he pulls anything like that again then I'll break his fucking legs.''

''Jon-''

''I'm going to leave you two to it.'' Chris sensed that the pair needed some time alone to talk and rose from his chair, glancing down at Alexa. ''I'll come see you before I leave.''

''Make sure you do.''

''Look.'' Jon continued as the blonde wandered off. ''Phil was one of your best friends before all of this shit happened. He was there for you through some tough times, I just think it's a shame if you let him throw that all away.''

''Let me get this straight; you actually _want _me and Phil to be friends?'' She asked, raising an eyebrow. ''After what happened?''

''I'm not exactly _ecstatic _about the idea.'' He admitted, his eyes darted to the man over in the corner. ''But I'm not going to tell you who you can and can't be friends with. I just want you to be happy and if being friends with him makes you happy, then fine.''

Her head tilted to the side as a small smile curled at her lips. ''You're pretty fucking amazing, you know that?''

Jon smirked, his hands coming up to rest behind his head as he leaned back in the chair. ''I know.''

* * *

''Hey.''

Phil's attention was suddenly drawn from his comic and his head snapped up upon hearing the tentative voice, his eyes immediately falling on Alexa. He was so surprised that she was standing in front of him that he didn't know what to say and just stared, the woman beginning to fidget under the intensity of his gaze.

''I can go, if you want, I-''

''No!'' He snapped, shaking his head before repeating gently. ''No, sorry... sit down, sit down.''

The chair scraped along the floor as she pulled it back and she dropped into it, forcing out a smile as she met his gaze. ''So, how are you feeling? All healed up?''

''Yeah, yeah, I'm good.'' He smiled, nodding at her. ''I feel a lot better, I think I really needed that time away from everything.''

She got the feeling he was talking about more than just the injuries that had plagued him, but wisely kept her mouth shut and changed the subject. ''I heard about what's going on with your mom... I'm sorry.''

Recently, he had to take out a restraining order against his birth mother who had started harassing him after he stopped offering her financial support. She was calling him non-stop, threatening to reveal information from his past to the press and saying she would kill herself unless he continued to cough up his hard-earned money. The judge had awarded him a two-year restraining order and he had also put in a request that she be banned from all WWE events going forward, something which was still under discussion.

Her comment elicited a derisive scoff from Phil. ''Don't be. It's not your fault she's a gold-digging bitch.''

''Still, it sucks.''

''Tell me about it. You know, you're lucky you haven't got to deal with this kind of stuff.''

It was her turn to scoff. ''Yeah, I'm super lucky that my Mother abandoned me...''

He sighed, a pang of regret hitting him. ''Sorry, I didn't think.''

''You never do.'' She shot back, sending them into a uncomfortable silence for a few moments before she spoke again. ''I miss you.''

The sight of her forlorn expression made his heart clench painfully in his chest. ''I miss you too, Lex.''

''I want things to go back to the way they were... I want my friend back.'' She stated quietly.

''You could still be friends with me, even after everything I did?''

''Yes.''

He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. ''I want to be your friend, Lex, I do... but then again, I don't, you know? How can I just be friends with you when every time I look at you, I can't help thinking about how much more I really want?''

''I...'' She trailed off, her mind not being able to come up with anything to say.

''While I was away I had a lot of time to think... and I guess I'd rather have you in my life as a friend than as nothing at all.''

''Really?'' She asked hopefully.

His eyes softened and he nodded. ''Really.''

''Good... because that means I can do this!'' She reached across the table and used all her strength to land a hard punch to his upper arm.

''Fuck!'' Phil cried, his face screwed up in pain as he rubbed the spot. ''What was that for?!''

''_That _was for kissing me and almost ruining my relationship.'' She told him matter-of-factly before sending him a small smile. ''Now, we're even.''

''Fine... I guess I kind of deserved that.'' He admitted reluctantly. ''So... tell me about this movie you went off to do...''


	73. Chapter 73

**Saturday 10th August**

''I can't believe how many people showed up!''

''I know!''

Along with Phil, April and Nick; Alexa, Jon, Colby and Joe had been added to the line-up of WWE Superstars attending Wizard World Chicago Comic Con that weekend. They had just finished doing their photo ops and signings and had retreated to a backstage lounge area of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. The guys were going to hang around there to wait for Alexa while she did her Q&amp;A Panel.

''I seriously don't think my hand has ever ached so much.''

Alexa snorted, raising her eyebrow at the Samoan beside her. ''I find that extremely hard to believe.''

''Lex!'' He cried, shooting her a scandalized look while the other two men laughed beside him.

''What?'' She shrugged. ''Don't be embarrassed Fabio, it's a perfectly natural thing.''

Joe shook his head. ''I'm not having this conversation with you?''

''Why? Because I'm a girl?''

''No, because it's _weird_.''

''Masturbation isn't weird, it's a perfectly natural thing and anybody who says they don't do it is a dirty liar.''

''It definitely comes in handy.'' Jon quipped, earning himself a smirk from Colby and a high-five from his girlfriend.

''You two are _beyond _perfect for each other.'' Joe mumbled, shaking his head again.

''Speaking of...'' She turned to Jon, biting her lip unsurely. ''If I get asked about... my relationship status, what do you want me to say?''

''What do you mean?'' He asked, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

Colby stepped in before she could explain. ''What she means is that ever since that photo of her and Punk got out, everyone thinks they're dating.''

''Why do you think I'm never on Twitter anymore?'' Alexa asked rhetorically. ''All I get is shit about Phil from all his fangirls... it drives me crazy.''

Jon nodded, he had noticed that his girlfriend was spending a lot less time on her phone, usually he couldn't tear her away from it.

''Yeah, dude, you should see some of the things people have been saying to her.'' Colby told him, his tone giving away the disdain he felt.

''Why didn't you tell me?'' Jon asked his girlfriend softly.

''It's not a big deal, I've heard worse.'' She replied. ''It's only because they think I'm the reason he broke up with Amy... maybe if I tell the truth, it'll stop.''

''Besides, do you _really _want everyone to think that your girl's with Punk?'' Joe goaded, knowing that was the last thing his friend would want.

''Look, you know that I don't really put my private life out there for everyone to see... but, I guess if you want to tell people we're together... then I'm okay with it.''

* * *

''So, our next guest is a four-time WWE Women's Champion and two-time Diva's Champion... please join me in giving a warm welcome to Sierra!''

Rock 'N Roll Queen, her old entrance theme, blasted through the speakers that were set up and Alexa stepped through the doors at the side of the room. Her eyes widened as she made her way onto the small stage, the crowd was a lot bigger than she was expecting.

Giving the cheering fans an enthusiastic wave, she pulled out a chair and dropped into the seat, reaching out to grab the nameplate set up in front of her with a grin. ''This is awesome!''

Mo Lightning, the moderator for her Q&amp;A switched off the music and stepped up to the podium with a chuckle. ''You like that?''

''I _love _this... can I keep it?''

''Sure thing... so, how are you today?''

''I'm doing good. How's everybody here doing?'' She asked, laughing when a loud 'whoo' echoed through the room. ''I'm actually pretty surprised that there are so many of you here!''

''You definitely had some diehards sitting outside for a while, waiting to see you... how does that make you feel? Is it flattering or kind of creepy?''

''It's not creepy at all... it's just really _weird _that people would want to spend their time waiting for _me_, you know? It's just me, no big deal.''

''So, are you enjoying Comic Con so far? It's your first time here, right?''

''It is.'' Alexa nodded. ''It's awesome, I'm having a great time. Me and the guys did the signing earlier and we got to meet DMC and the, uh, green dude from the Power Rangers, so that was cool. And I got to meet John Barrowman earlier! That pretty much made my life, right there.''

''Doctor Who fan?''

''The biggest.''

''Favourite Doctor?''

''Matt Smith.'' She replied instantly. ''I was a huge Tennant fan and was adamant that nobody else could _be _The Doctor... but then I fell in love with Matt Smith, I think he's amazing.''

''Looking forward to the fiftieth special?''

''Totally. We've got Survivor Series the night after, so I'll have to make sure I book into a hotel that's going to be broadcasting it.''

''Sounds like you've got it all figured out.''

''I have. I'm not missing it for anything.''

''That's dedication, right there.'' Mo laughed, looking around at the audience. ''Excellent. So, if you have a question for Sierra, go ahead and feel free to line up... ah, she was one of the die-hard's lining up, so we won't make her wait any longer.''

''Hi.'' Alexa waved, sending a warm smile to the first girl to step up to the microphone. ''I like your outfit, it looks great.''

''Thanks.'' The girl gushed, looking down at her imitation riot gear. ''Uh, so I just wanted to ask what advice you would give to an aspiring wrestler?''

''Sure, uh... Obviously, this is going to sound super hypocritical coming from me but, obviously you should get school finished with first, so you have something to fall back on. After, if it's something you're really serious about then you'll need to enroll in a local wrestling school or something, you know, kind of take it from there. It's a _lot _different now from when I was first starting out... But, I think my biggest piece of advice would be to never let anyone tell you that you _can't_ be something. Don't let them tell you that you're too tall, too short, too fat, too black, too white, too many tattoos... _too female_... Don't let anybody mess with your dreams, because they're yours. At the end of the day, that's all you're going to have.''

''Thank you so much... I love you, by the way, you're awesome.''

''Aww, thank you!'' She chuckled, watching patiently as the next person went up to speak. ''Hi!'''

''Hi... if you could work with anybody, in the WWE or otherwise, who would it be?''

''Oh man, you're going to regret asking me that, there's _so _many people I'd love to work with...'' She chewed her lip for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing her face. ''I came back to the WWE just after she left, but I would have loved to work with Kharma. She's absolutely riveting to watch in the ring and her matches with Gail Kim a few years ago were brilliant. And there's a lot of talented women in the indies; Candice LaRae. Jessicka Havok, Mia Yim... just to name a few. They're all awesome, I'd love to have the opportunity to work with them in future... Bull Nakano has to be up there at the top of the list, it's well documented that she's my all time favourite. I'm a _big_ fan of the Japanese style of wrestling. Japan has seen some of the greatest female wrestlers, who will be remembered as the best of either gender. Manami Toyota, Aja Kong, Jaguar Yokota... I know this is impossible because she's retired, but the one woman I most want to wrestle would be Akira Hokuto. She's... she's mesmerizing and I just love the passion she has for what she does. In one of her matches she broke her neck when doing a moonsault, but she carried on and completed the match anyway. Then, when she was due to win the title against Aja Kong, she got injured again, but completed the match. Even though she was booked to win, she herself asked the AJW bosses that they make the match a non-title bout. She thought that a woman with an injury winning such a prestigious title would be an insult to the belt and all its previous holders. I just think that's... it's just amazing. It shows such respect for the art... sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I?''

Mo shook his head from the podium, chuckling. ''Just a little, but it's okay. You really know your stuff, huh?''

Alexa shrugged, blushing. ''I watched a lot of old tapes when I was a kid.''

''Okay... next question?''

''How does it feel to be the only member of The Shield without a title?'' A teenage boy asked, earning a loud oooh from the crowd.

''How dare you?'' Alexa shot the teenage boy a mock-glare before laughing. ''No, it's cool. I don't think I really need the title anyway, my awesomeness speaks for itself... besides, I think AJ deserves it, she's a worthy champion.''

''Um, you don't have to answer this if you don't want to but, everyone knows your history with the Guerreros, would you be able to tell us a little about Eddie and your relationship with him?''

''Sure... uh, well... obviously, he and my Dad were best friends so I grew up around Eddie. I went to a lot of the shows that he and my Dad were booked on, so when it was my Dad's turn to go out for his match, I would stay with Eddie in the locker room. He was like a second father to me when I was a kid. After my Dad passed away I ended up going to live with Mando, and I really only saw Eddie a handful of times. It wasn't until I got signed by the WWE in 2004 that I really started to re-connect with him again... He's regarded as one of the pioneers of modern wrestling, and for good reason. But, for me, his legacy goes beyond the fact that he was a technical genius or that he oozed charisma. He was someone I looked up to a lot; he overcame a lot of personal demons in his life. Whether it be drugs or alcohol, you know, he found a way to power through. He was... he was just a beautiful person and he'll always be missed.''

''What was your favourite moment of his career?''

''That's a tought one but I think there's two moments that will stay with me; the first was watching him win the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar at No Way Out. I was in the process of signing my contract so I was able to watch it backstage and it was just... it was amazing to be a part of that... The second was, and I'll probably get my butt kicked for saying this... but the second was at Wrestlemania twenty, and Eddie joined Chris Benoit in the ring right after he won the World Heavyweight Championship... Two men, _two friends_, who traveled the world together, who were told they'll never make it… finally made it. It was just a really emotional moment, you know?''

Alexa grabbed the water bottle that had been left on the table for her and unscrewing it; she took a long swig as the next person stepped up to the microphone.

''I follow you on Twitter and you're always sharing what music you're listening to and recommending stuff, how important is music to you?''

''Very. I think I'd be lost without my iPod, I'm always listening to it.''

''When you're on the road, who gets to choose the music?''

''At the moment, I'm riding with the guys from The Shield and there's an agreement that whoever's driving gets to pick the music. With each guy, you'll hear different music. Seth's mostly into his heavy-metal, Dean likes the old rock 'n roll stuff and Roman's like me, he'll listen to anything and everything. I think you can learn a lot about people by what music they listen to. If someone ever tells you there's a certain song that's important to them, you should close your eyes and really listen to it, even if its ten minutes long. Because at the end of it, you'll know that person much better.''

''Now that you're using The Shield's entrance music, do you miss your old theme?''

''I do, I really miss it. I mean, Special Ops is awesome, but it's not _mine, _you know?''

''Who do you think has the best entrance music, past or present?''

''Ooooh... I've always loved The Hardy Boyz theme, back when they were still a team.'' She replied, making everyone laugh when she did the patented 'gunz' and the Jeff Hardy dance behind the table.

''Hey! I've got a couple of questions... So, I was a huge Jericho fan back in the day and I really loved when they brought in Sierra as a foil to Trish's character while he was feuding with Christian. The two of you just had this awesome dynamic and you worked so well together, some of the promos you did were hilarious.''

Alexa grinned over at the man. ''Thank you.''

''And I know you two are still really good friends so I just wanted to know how much of an impact he's had on your life.''

''Chris has had a _huge_ impact on my life... I was only eighteen when we first met and he'd already been in the business fourteen years so, professionally, I learned a lot from him. Personally... he's like a brother to me. He's supported me through some really tough times and I owe him a lot.''

''Speaking of your injury, do you mind if I ask about that?''

''Not at all.''

''We all know that you broke your neck and that you were out of action for a long time... what I want to know is, how hard was it for you to get back in the ring?''

''It was really hard... um... obviously, I had to have surgery and after that I had to rehab my neck for a long time, you know, make sure it was strong enough for me to get back out there. It took about two years for me to feel comfortable enough to even step foot inside a ring... but even then, all I could really do was a few simple bumps. Every time I tried to climb to the top rope, I completely froze... mentally, I just couldn't get over that fear. It was tough and there were _so_ many times I thought about just giving up.''

''Why didn't you?''

''I had a lot of amazing people around me.'' A smile slowly crept on her face. ''Darren- sorry, William Regal... he helped me a lot. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for him. Then somebody else gave me the kick in the ass I needed and, you know... here I am.''

''Well, it's a good job they did, it's been great to have you back on our TV screens again.''

''Thank you, so much.''

Mo turned to her as the man made his way back to his seat. ''So, a couple of months ago you went off to LA to film a movie... can you tell us anything about that?''

''I, uh, I don't think I can...'' She glanced over to the WWE handlers over in the corner, the woman shaking her head. ''Nope... I can't... What I can say is that it's going to be awesome and it'll be out sometime next year, I think they're looking at around May/June time.''

''Is that going to be a regular thing now? You disappearing off to Hollywood?''

''No.'' She snorted, quickly shaking her head. ''I'm not The Rock.''

''Ooh, burn!'' Mo commented as the crowd laughed.

''No, no, I didn't mean it like that.'' She hastily added. ''I just meant that he's amazing at what he does and I don't think I'll ever be on that level.''

''Nice save... okay, we've got time for a few more questions if we're quick...''

''Hi there, so, we all know that a lot of people consider wrestling 'fake' so I just wanted to know, exactly how much of it _is _scripted?''

''We just know the beginning and the end of the match but whatever happens in between is called on the fly and improvised based on the crowd reactions. It is scripted, but the performances are real with real athletes and... you know, people just don't understand the art form of what we do out there. I hate the work fake... All the movies and TV shows out there are fake, yet people can still watch and be entertained by them. The only difference between them and what we do in the ring, is that we are live and we don't have a stunt double out there to take all the bumps and bruises for us.''

''What's your stance on gay marriage?''

''Woah, going for a hard-hitting question, huh?'' Alexa's eyes widened and she let out a chuckle. ''I know this is a pretty... controversial subject, but my opinion on it is that same-sex couples should be allowed to get married just like everyone else. Even if being gay _was _a choice, so what? People choose to be assholes and _they _can get married. It's not gay privilege, it's equal rights. Privilege would be something like... gay people not paying taxes, like churches don't.''

''Do you believe in God?''

''No.'' She replied. ''But, as an atheist, I see nothing wrong with believing in a God. It's when that belief starts infringing on other people's rights when it worries me. I would never deny your right to believe in a God. I would just rather you didn't kill people who believe in a different God, say. Or stone someone to death because your rulebook says their sexuality is immoral. I think it's strange that anyone who believes that an all-powerful all-knowing, omniscient power responsible for everything that happens, would also want to judge and punish people for what they are.''

''The bible says-''

''I know what it says... you know, I think there's something seriously wrong with the world, when you have to teach your children what to do during a school shooting, yet everybody is freaking out about gay marriage... be an Atheist, be a Christian, be Buddhist, be straight, be gay, be cisgender, be transgender, be non-binary, be carnivore, be vegan, be whatever the hell you want to be but _don't _be an asshole... why is this so hard to understand?''

Mo cleared his throat awkwardly. ''Okay, next question please?''

A young girl stepped up to the microphone. ''Uh, hi...''

''Hey.'' Alexa smiled across at her. ''How are you?''

''Nervous.'' She blurted out, making the room laugh.

''Don't be, I'm not scary.'' She assured softly. ''What did you want to ask?''

''I... I just wanted to know what it's like working with The Shield?''

''It's awful. I hate _every _second of it.'' She deadpanned, pausing before her face broke out into a smile. ''No, I love it. They're all super-talented guys and I'm pretty lucky to get to work with them.''

''My Mom says that you make googly eyes at Dean.''

Alexa snorted out a laugh and quickly placed her hand over her mouth. ''I do, huh?''

The girl nodded. ''And I told her that's stupid because_ Punk _is your boyfriend.''

''Well...'' Leaning her elbows on the table, she moved closer to her microphone. ''Just for the record, I'm definitely _not _dating CM Punk... and I think your Mom might be on to something.''

A few excited whispers fell over the audience as the little girl narrowed her eyes at the Diva. ''So... you're dating Dean Ambrose and _not _Punk?''

''Yep.''

The whispers quickly turned into loud chatter among everyone and Alexa laughed as the girl scrunched up her nose in obvious distaste at her choice in paramour.

''Alright, time for one last question...''

''Hi, I just wanted your thoughts on the promo you did back in January where we learned it was you who put together The Shield. Was everything you said scripted? Or did you ad-lib some of it like Punk did with his pipebomb?''

''Most of what I said was scripted, but there were one or two things I threw in there off my own back.''

''I've listened to a few of your interviews and you've always been pretty vocal in your opinions on women's wrestling, opinions which many fans share. Do you think there's still sexism in the industry?''

''Yes.''

''In the WWE specifically or-''

''Everywhere.'' Alexa cut in. ''It's everywhere, there's no denying it. In modern-day society, women have been able to break through in male dominated professions and accomplish amazing things. But, on the same hand, the more things change, the more they stay the same. There are still a lot of places that, no matter how hard a woman works or how they strive for equality, they still remain unable to achieve it. It really pains me to say this but I think professional wrestling is one of those places.''

''In my opinion, women's wrestling has grown remarkably from five years ago. The amount of women's wrestlers and promotions on the indy scene today is nearly as many as the mens.''

''I completely agree with you. It's definitely come a long way since I started out.'' Alexa nodded. ''And, don't get me wrong, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be... some of the stuff I've had to endure in the locker room and the attitude I've had from some of my coworkers, it's... some of the remarks we get from fans and coworkers would never fly in your typical office environment. But, the fact is that the perception of women's wrestling is extremely outdated. Both, by the fans and by some people in the business.''

''Do you sometimes feel that the WWE _helps_ this perception more often than not, with the women they hire?'' The woman questioned. ''I mean, you've fought for over ten years to change that stigma...''

''I think, it is what it is.'' She chewed her lip, carefully mulling over her reply. ''At the end of the day, WWE is _sports entertainment. _We're there to not just wrestle, but entertain as well so it makes sense to hire people who can do that. I think in order to move past sexism, then it has a lot to do with the fans.''

''How so?''

''You know... people actually getting invested in our matches and not just using them for a bathroom break, cheering for the women in the ring and not starting up random chants... buy our merchandise, send supportive Tweets... it all has an effect and that's the only way they'll start listening. If they listen and give us longer matches, we can show that we're just as good, if not _better_, than the men.''

''Okay, I'm afraid that's all we have time for folks.'' Mo announced into the microphone. ''Let's give it up, for Sierra!''

* * *

''Lex, will you please stop fussing and sit down?'' Colby asked, letting out an exasperated sigh.

Alexa was trying, and failing miserably, to put her bag on the shelf above her seat. ''I'm too fucking short.'' She huffed as she carried on shoving the bag. ''Wait, wait... I think it's there.'' She told him as she slowly took her hands away. ''There.'' She said triumphantly.

The Iowan could see it starting to fall back down again, and to save her, pushed her out-of-the-way, right before it landed. As her bag landed on the air hostess, Alexa landed on top of another passenger.

''Colby!'' She cried as she quickly rose to her feet, apologizing profusely to the man whose lap she had landed in.

''Excuse me miss, would you like me to help you with that bag?'' Asked the very annoyed air hostess.

''Yes. Yes she would.'' Colby answered for her, knowing that she would never admit defeat.

She scowled, dropping into the seat next to him and Jon as the safety announcements began. The group had headed straight to the airport following her panel, not wanting to miss their late night flight to California, where they would be doing Raw and Smackdown that week.

Once they had taken off and the 'Remove Seat Belts' light had come on, Jon's head suddenly popped over the seat in front of Alexa, making her jump.

''Jesus, Jon.''

He laughed. ''Sorry.''

Joe's head appeared next to his. ''Hey, so, I hear you're going house hunting in Vegas?''

''Yeah.'' Alexa nodded, eyeing her boyfriend with a small smile. ''He managed to talk me into it.''

''Well, when you eventually decide on a place, you know where I am if you need help moving.''

''Yeah, me too.'' Colby offered.

''Thanks, guys.'' She grinned. ''I think we'll probably take you up on that.''

* * *

A/N - I'm not sure if you guys like when I do interviews and stuff with Alexa, I just like doing them because I think it's gives a little more insight into her as a person.

Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter, please let me know what you think of this one :)


	74. Chapter 74

**Monday 12th August**

**RAW**

_''In what other line of work, can you be lazy and unproductive and still be brought back every day, to do a job you're not good at anymore?'' Dean asked, looking around at his team-mates incredulously._

_Seth gave a wry chuckle, before responding. ''You know what, I don't know. But this old guard running around here thinking they own the place, they've got to go! These complacent, hollowed-out icons, living off their reputations... they gotta go! It is time for a new generation to rise up... and we are the emergent leaders of that generation, look at us! Look at us! We're younger, we're hungrier, we're just better.''_

_Roman turned the camera to face him. ''The challenge has been set. But I don't think anyone's going to accept. We've delivered justice all around the world and one thing we've noticed is nobody compares, nobody can compete with us, nobody is on our level. I'm not going to beg, but I will ask nicely. If there's two men out there that want to step up and take these tag team championships away at Summerslam, make your move.''_

_''Take this Battle Royal tonight for instance, for a shot at my US Championship... who's in this Battle Royal?'' Dean shrugged, looking expectantly into the camera. ''Anybody who's going to beat me? No? You know why? Because I am the unbeatable champion in this industry. CM Punk is a catchphrase, I'm the best in the world. John Cena has a trophy but as far as I'm concerned, I'm the WWE Champion because this is the championship everybody runs from. If Andre the Giant's ghost isn't in the Battle Royal tonight, then I ain't losing at Summerslam. Believe that- oh... you've got something you want to say, sweetcheeks?''_

_''Damn right, I do.'' Sierra stepped out from the shadows, moving to stand in front of him to glare into the camera. ''AJ... I just thought I'd let you know that I had a little chat with Stephanie McMahon earlier tonight and she's agreed to let me have my long overdue re-match... Since I'm unable to get that rematch at Summerslam, I've decided I want it now. So, get ready AJ. Because Friday night on Smackdown, that title's coming home... believe that. And believe in the Shield!''_

* * *

''I can't believe you guys are actually going to be moving in together.''

''I know... who'd have thought we'd ever get here.''

''Is Saraya cool with it?''

''I mean, she's a little sad, we both are.'' Alexa replied, absent mindedly picking at the salad in front of her. ''We've been living together since she came to the States, it's going to be weird for her in a new place but she'll be fine.''

Danielle nodded, taking a sip of her water. ''How did that even come about, anyway?''

''The office were meant to arrange a place for her to stay after she got signed but they screwed up somewhere along the line, and she ended up with no place to go. Saraya was just sat there, looking scared to death as everyone panicked. I took pity on her, offered her a place to stay for a while and she never left.''

''Kind of like a bad rash.'' The blonde mused, laughing as the other woman hurled a piece of lettuce at her head.

''Well, if anyone knows about bad rashes, it would be you.''

''Hey!''

''Speaking of bad rashes, where's Renee today?''

Danielle shook her head in disapproval. ''Lex!''

''What?'' She shrugged. ''She's been hanging around you like one for weeks.''

''She's over there, sitting with Cody... and she's not so bad, you should get to know her, you two would hit it off, I think.''

Glancing around, Alexa's eyes fell on Renee who, sure enough, was sitting over in the corner with the WWE's social media manager Cody Barbierri.

''I'll pass, thanks... you should probably tell her to pick her friends more carefully, though.''

The blonde followed her gaze, and furrowed her eyebrows. ''Who, Cody?''

''He's an ass.'' She told her, contempt clear on her face. ''So, I kind of had a meeting with him last week, he just wanted to talk about my Twitter account and told me how to better 'hand myself' on social media. Then, he tried to lighten the mood by telling me this completely inappropriate joke that-''

''What inappropriate joke?'' April asked as she slid into the spare seat beside Danielle, overhearing the tail-end of their conversation.

''So, he goes, 'Why cant mexicans play Uno?' and I was like, 'Why?' Then he said, 'Because they always steal the green card.'...''

Danielle gasped, her eyes widening as April's mouth dropped open in mild horror. ''What did you say?''

''Nothing! I didn't know _what _to say so I just got out of there as fast as I could.''

''What an asshole.'' April hissed, sending the man a glare. ''If anything like that happens again, you need to tell someone.''

''Yeah, I will.'' She promised before changing the subject. ''So, are you ready for our match tomorrow?''

The smaller woman nodded eagerly. ''Born ready.''

''Are you going to win the title?''

''Nope.'' Alexa turned to face the blonde. ''But the 'loss' is going to be the beginning of the end of my run with The Shield.''

Another gasp left Danielle's lips and she pouted. ''No! I love you guys together!''

''All good things come to an end, Dan... besides, I'm not very good at being a heel.''

April snorted out a laugh at her friends forlorn expression. ''You're fine at playing the bad guy, Lex. It's just that you've got a lot of fans, they're going to cheer you no matter what. Plus, it doesn't help that a lot of the time, you're voicing what people really think... of course they're going to like you for it.''

She just gave a non-committal shrug. ''I'm just worried about what they're going to do with me now, you know?''

''You'll go back to being the sassy, badass, rebellious, funny Sierra that everyone fell in love with.'' April told her with a grin. ''And then we can finally have that amazing feud we've been craving.''

* * *

**Tuesday 13th August **

''Asshole.''

Muttering curses under her breath, Alexa stormed through the backstage area of the SAP Center after having a meeting with Mark Carrano. Some of the higher-ups had been less than pleased with some of her comments at her panel over the weekend, especially her mention of he-who-shall-not-be-named, Chris Benoit. Mark had been asked to drag her into his office to have an informal talk with her about what was, and wasn't, appropriate to talk about in the future. Of course, Alexa being Alexa, didn't really believe she had said anything that warranted such a talk and had argued back, which had just made everything worse.

She made her way into the catering area and as she slumped into the seat beside April, let out a groan so loud that made almost everyone in catering turn their heads in her direction.

''What's wrong?'' Nick asked from across the table.

''I totally just got chewed out by Carrano.'' She replied, a sour look on her face.

The man snorted. ''Let me guess, you didn't just keep your mouth shut and take it like a good girl?''

''Where's the fun in that?'' She smirked, the innuendo not lost on the group. ''Besides, I don't think I said anything that bad.''

April cocked a brow. ''You mentioned Benoit, which is a big no-no. You practically accused the WWE of being sexist and you probably managed to piss off all the religious viewers.''

''Not to mention breaking the hearts of all your male fans who were delusional enough to think they had a shot with you.'' Nick added with a grin. ''And all Jon's fangirls, of course.''

Alexa shrugged, scowling as she crossed her arms over her chest. ''Phil's said much worse and got away with it, why is it such a big deal when _I _speak my mind.''

April didn't miss a beat. ''Because you're a woman.''

''Case in point.''

* * *

**SMACKDOWN**

_''Looks like we'll be joined by Dean Ambrose for this match, JBL!'' _

_Sierra was just entering the ring as the United States Champion took up a seat beside the Texan and slipped on a spare headset. _

_''Welcome, Dean!'' JBL cried happily. _

_''Thank you, JBL.''_

_''What __**are **__you doing out here?'' Michael questioned suspiciously._

_Dean placed his hand over his heart, a hurt look appearing on his face. ''Am I not welcome out here?''_

_''He's obviously out here in case Big E tries anything!'' JBL responded for him. ''Use your brain, Michael!''_

_''Exactly.'' The man confirmed, shifting in his seat as the bell sounded and focusing his attention on the ring as AJ and Sierra locked up. ''I'm just out here to even the odds.''_

_''Of course, you only care about odds when it's one of your own...'' Michael began to mutter under his breath._

_With a ferocious glint in her eye, Sierra charged across the ring towards AJ; the smaller woman becoming the recipient of a flurry of harsh blows and kicks. The savage beating was enough for the referee to forcefully insert himself between the two women and giving Sierra a stern talking to._

_''Sierra almost getting disqualified during the opening minute of this match!'' Michael cried in disbelief before he turned to Dean. ''Since joining The Shield, we've seen a more... intense Sierra, wouldn't you say?''_

_''That's just who she is, Michael... she's extremely passionate about everything she does and what she believes in. We have that in common.''_

_''We've heard Sierra's take on how The Shield was formed... let's hear yours.''_

_''Or, you know, we could actually talk about the Championship match that's going on in the ring right now?'' Dean quipped, glancing between the pair. ''I mean, isn't that what you guys are paid to do?''_

_''Man's got a point.'' JBL laughed. _

_''So, how do you think this match is going to play out, Dean?'' _

_Sierra and AJ slowly walked towards each other, meeting each other in the middle of the ring. The Shield member sneered down at the shorter woman, the height difference not doing much to deter AJ from opening her mouth. _

_''Are you stupid, Michael?'' Dean laughed. ''Yeah, AJ's good but Sierra's been in this business a long time. She's tough as nails and is the best there is... of course she's going to win.''_

_Sierra didn't make a move, letting her opponent finish her angry tirade before a dangerous smirk appeared on her lips. Before AJ could react, Sierra reached up and palmed her face, shoving her back with all her might; the younger woman landing unceremoniously on her backside before turning her fierce gaze to Sierra. _

_''Oh no, AJ's got the crazy eyes going on right now...'' JBL commented._

_The Champion quickly scrambled to her feet and knocked Sierra down with a Lou Thesz press, high-pitched shrieks and screams escaping her as she smacked her repeatedly. The referee was quick to intervene when she grabbed Sierra by the hair and started to smash her head against the canvas, the man physically prying her away from the other woman._

_Sierra scooted back into the corner and used the ropes to pull herself up; the woman laughing at the enraged expression adorning AJ's face._

_''I think AJ's letting Sierra get under her skin-''_

_The Champion let out a feral growl and Sierra quickly dodged out-of-the-way as she charged towards her, dropping down and quickly rolling her up in a schoolgirl pin._

1-2-

_''And AJ manages to kick out!''_

_The two women rose to their feet in unison before locking up; Sierra easily gaining the upper hand and wrapping the smaller woman in a headlock. AJ fought out of it and shoved her towards the ropes, the challenger coming back with a vicious clothesline; the impact so powerful that AJ did a full flip in the air before landing face-down on the mat, the fans gasping as they watched the replay._

_''She turned AJ inside-out with that clothesline!'' Michael cried._

_JBL laughed. ''That was almost as good as mine.'' _

_''She's something, huh?'' Dean mumbled._

_Instead of going to the pin, Sierra slowly stalked towards AJ's prone form and dropped to the mat beside her. Grabbing her left arm, Sierra roughly yanked it up so it was bent behind her back, making the woman cry out in pain. _

_''Looks like a- a grounded Crossface Chickenwing.'' Michael noted. ''I don't think we've ever seen Sierra do that before!''_

_''Just goes to show, an old dog can learn new tricks.'' JBL added with a chuckle._

_''Did you just call her a dog?'' Dean asked, a steely tone to his voice. _

_''Uh, I-''_

_''Look at this!''_

_Realizing that AJ wasn't going to tap, Sierra flipped forward into a bridge to apply more pressure to her wrist and elbow; the Champion's wails becoming louder._

_''Bridging Crossface Chickenwing!'' Michael cried. ''We may have a new champion here!''_

_''She's very flexible...'' JBL observed casually._

_''She is.'' Dean gave a low chuckle. ''And, you know, I'd love to tell you just how flexible she is but this is a PG show...''_

_AJ's hand started banging down on the mat as the pressure finally became too much to bear and Sierra released the hold with a smirk, getting to her feet and waiting for the referee to hand her the belt. She frowned as she spun around; finding Big E up on the ring apron and the referee facing him, yelling at him to get down._

_''Sierra had that championship won!'' JBL yelled angrily before turning to the man beside him. ''Aren't you out here to stop that kind of thing from happening?!''_

_Dean growled as he yanked off his headset and rose from his seat, storming around the ring towards the other man. Grabbing his feet, he pulled as hard as he could; Big E hitting his head on the ring apron before falling to the ground. _

_''That's more like it!''_

_Hopping up to take Big E's place, Dean started to argue with the referee about him doing his job properly before Sierra appeared, shoving the man in the striped shirt out-of-the-way._

_''Uh-oh... looks like trouble in paradise.'' JBL commented, watching the two go at it. _

_Michael snorted. ''Sierra's obviously angry that Dean let Big E distract the referee like that.''_

_''Understandably so, she had the match won!''_

_AJ staggered to her feet as the pair argued and saw her opportunity. Bouncing herself off the ropes, she ran towards Sierra and hit her in the back with a dropkick, the woman slamming into Dean and sending him flying off the apron. AJ wasted no time in rolling Sierra up in a schoolgirl, her hands hooked in the other woman's pants as the referee counted to three. _

_The crowd exploded in heavy boos as the bell rung._

_**''Your winner, and still Diva's Champion... AJ Lee!''**_

_AJ scrambled to get out of the ring, Big E meeting her at the bottom of the ramp and handing her the belt as a wide grin spread over her lips._

_''I won!'' She mocked, holding her championship up in the air and pointing to the woman in the ring. ''I beat you!''_

_Dean rolled into the ring, a wince on his face as he held his back, coming to a halt in front of where Sierra sat in the middle of the ring and placing a hand on her shoulder._

_''Sierra does not look happy...''_

_Angrily shrugging his hand off, she rose to her feet and levelled him with a fierce glare before exiting the ring; Dean watching her retreat up the ramp with a look of concern._

* * *

_''Looks like we're all losers tonight, huh?''_

_The three men turned to face Sierra with unimpressed looks as they made their way backstage after their match against RVD, Mark Henry and The Big Show._

_''None of us are losers.'' Dean told her._

_''Well, I wouldn't be if it weren't for you.'' She shot back angrily. ''You-''_

_''Enough!'' Roman bellowed, before repeating it softly. ''Enough. You lost, big deal. Just because someone wins a title, it doesn't mean they deserve it. A title doesn't make you a Champion, your attitude does.''_

_Sierra's mouth just tightened into a thin line, not replying to the Samoan as Seth stormed over to Dean._

_''Did you see what just happened?! That's not going to happen again! Those guys-''_

_''Hey, hey, hey... it's fine.'' Dean smirked, putting a hand on Seth's arm to try to placate him after their loss. ''It's fine.''_

_''It ain't fine!'' The man responded angrily, moving off to pace around the darkly lit room._

_''It's fine.'' Dean repeated calmly, staring into the camera. ''Although, I am a little disappointed at Rob Van Dam. Rob, letting the Big Show do your dirty work, letting the big man fight your battles for you? Summerslam kick-off... Big Show's not going to be there in LA, your five-star frogsplash ain't going to be there in LA. And the United States Championship, that sure ain't going to be there in LA for you either. Because now you're going one-on-one with Dean Ambrose with the championship on the line. You're playing chess with Bobby Fischer, there's just no way to win, dude... and the world is slowly finding out that fact. Dean Ambrose, The Shield and the United States Championship are the whole damn show!''_

* * *

A/N - Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I've kind of his a block with the story, which is really frustrating. I know where I want to go with it but it's just getting it there... so, thank you for sticking with me. :)


	75. Chapter 75

**A/N - Sorry for the long delay in updates, like I said, really bad writer's block at the moment! But here's a long chapter to hopefully tide you guys over :)**

* * *

**Sunday 18th August**

It was late as Alexa lay on the bed, scrolling through her Twitter feed and answering a few fan questions as she waited for Jon to get out of the shower. They had arrived back at the hotel a little while ago with Joe and Colby, the group planning on getting a few hours sleep before making the long drive to Anaheim for Raw the next day.

Raw was going to be the start of something great for The Shield and Sierra, the group would be entering into a storyline with the newly formed 'Authority'. The guys would start working for Triple H as his enforcers while Sierra would slowly become more and more disillusioned with The Shield, eventually turning on them, and the Authority.

Closing the app, she quickly checked her e-mails, glancing up as the bathroom door opened; Jon appearing with a towel firmly wrapped around his hips, steam billowing around him as he stepped out of the doorway.

''Enjoying the view?'' He asked playfully as her gaze lingered on his body.

Since joining the main roster, Colby had managed to somewhat convert Jon into doing CrossFit with him. Alexa and Joe usually tagged along too but the pair much preferred their gyms to be simple. But CrossFit had done Jon the world of good, his body much more muscular and toned than it had been when he first got signed. Not that Alexa cared, she loved him regardless, but she knew that her boyfriend was hot as hell.

''You know it.'' She replied, shooting him a seedy wink. ''Hey, so I've just got the e-mail confirmation for our flights to Vegas. We'll need to head straight to the airport after the show tomorrow.''

''Sounds good.''

Jon moved over to perch on the edge of the bed, smiling softly as the mattress shifted and her arms wrapped around his neck, her lips pressing lightly against his temple. His eyes fluttered closed and he couldn't help but feel content, more than he had in a very long time. He was paid a ton of money to do something he loved and he had a woman who was way out of his league, but for some reason, she loved _him_.

''I love you.''

''I love you, too.''

He turned to face her and pushed her backwards, smirking as he hovered over her. ''Want to show me how much?''

Alexa bit her lip, her fingers moving to toy with the top of his towel. ''Aren't you tired?''

''Nope.'' He replied, his lips trailing up her neck to nibble on her earlobe.

''Colby and Joe are right next door... we can't...''

''Sure we can, you'll just have to be quiet.''

With an impish grin, Jon quickly pushed her t-shirt up above her bra, trailing kisses up her stomach, before pulling it over her head. She lifted up her body to help him and he took advantage, reaching behind her back and deftly un-hooking her bra before throwing the garment aside. She let out a little whimper as he took her nipple into his mouth, flicking his tongue over it a few times before gently biting.

''Jon-''

''Shh...''

His blue eyes looked up at her as she bit her lip and threw her head back, trying to stop any moans from escaping. Smirking, he started to trail kisses down her body, ignoring the erection straining against the towel. Her breathing quickened with every kiss that landed on her skin, her hips arching against him as his fingers lightly played with the waistband of her panties.

Alexa let out a strangled moan as he spread her legs apart and kissed her through her underwear; the man practically growling in response to finding her already so wet for him. Gently slipping the material off, his mouth dropped down and she barely bit back a moan when he started teasing her sex.

''Fuck.'' She hissed, feeling him smirk as her fingernails dug into the skin of his shoulders.

With a sudden movement he withdrew his tongue and replaced it with his fingers, the woman on the bed letting out a whimper as he sucked her clit into his mouth. Her eyes fluttered closed and she arched towards his mouth, feeling her climax rapidly building. Feeling her tighten and clench around his fingers and knowing she was close, Jon roughly scraped his teeth over the bundle of nerves, her loud cry echoing through the room as her orgasm ripped through her.

Her head thrown back against the pillows and her eyes squeezed shut, Alexa's back arched and she clawed at the covers; Jon feeling himself growing even harder when she panted his name, overtaken by the climax. He kept a firm grip on her hip as he moved up her body so they were level, smirking when she looked up at him through half-lidded eyes.

''Thought you were going to be quiet?'' He quirked an eyebrow, pressing himself against her entrance teasingly.

She let out a breathy chuckle before she lifted herself up and kissed him sloppily, tasting herself on his lips before she pulled back and met his eyes. ''I want you inside me... Now.''

Jon growled and she buried her face in his neck, a small whining noise escaping her lips as he pushed inside her, followed by his own little grunt of satisfaction.

His head dropped into her neck with a groan, his hips stilling as he tried to get a hold of himself. ''Fuck.''

Her fingers tangled in his hair and she moved his head back, nipping at his mouth playfully. Pulling back, a smirk spread across her lips as the balls of her feet pushed against his ass, pushing him in deeper as she clenched herself around him.

''Lex.'' He hissed warningly, kissing her roughly as he began to move his hips, his thrusts hard and fast.

Alexa's grip on his hair tightened and her hips began to match his; the man's mouth descending on hers to try to quiet her moans. Their kisses were messy, open-mouthed and full of tongue as he reached down between them, his thumb moving to work against her swollen bundle of nerves.

He was rewarded by the sharp sting of her nails digging into his back. ''Jon!''

He added more pressure and her teeth latched onto his shoulder, only just managing to muffle her scream as she came. Her muscles clenched around him like a vice, sending him over the edge seconds later; a deep groan escaping him as his head dropped into the crook of her neck.

They remained like that for a few moments before he rolled to her side, pulling her slightly on top of him when he got there. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead before wrapping his arms tightly around her so she was forced to use his chest as a pillow.

''I love you.''

She smiled contentedly, running her fingers up and down his chest. ''I love you, too.''

* * *

**Monday 26th August**

Already dressed in her combat gear, Alexa slowly drank from her cup of coffee as she flicked through the final version of the script for the show that night.

John had departed the week before for surgery to repair his triceps, meaning that a lot of time on the show had been freed up. Colby, Jon, Joe and herself were just some of the few that would be benefitting from the extra screen time, their angle with 'The Authority' just starting to play out.

''Yo, Lex!''

The woman looked up sharply to find Colby and Joe making their way towards her, the pair looking well rested after their few days off.

''Hey.'' She smiled warmly as they took up the seats opposite her.

''That tonight's script?'' Colby asked, jerking his thumb at the wad of paper in her hands.

''Yeah, I-''

He cut her off, snatching it out of her hands before casually flipping through it. Rolling his eyes, Joe gave the man a slap to the back of his head before glancing back over to her.

''Jon said the house hunting went well?''

''It did.'' Alexa nodded, grinning at him. ''He show you the photos?''

''Eventually.'' Colby looked up from the script with a snort. ''He spent forever trying to find them so we had to help him get them up on the screen.''

She shook her head with a laugh. ''You should see him trying to figure out how to open his e-mails, it's hilarious.''

''I bet.'' Joe chuckled knowingly. ''So, any places that stand out?''

She shrugged her shoulders in response. ''There were a few we liked, but... I mean, they were all nice places but... not really _us_, if you know what I mean?''

''I get it, baby girl.'' The Samoan smiled, leaning over to ruffle her hair. ''You'll find the right place eventually, it's not going to happen overnight.''

''I know.''

''Have you booked in some more viewings?''

''Yeah, since the taping tomorrow is in Vegas, we arranged to see the real-estate agent on Wednesday. She's going to find us some more places and we'll probably stick around until the weekend to look at some.''

''So, you're sticking with Vegas, huh?'' Colby spoke up, lifting his eyes from the script.

''Yeah, we went out on the strip while we were there last week, it was awesome. And the prices there are pretty great too, so...''

''That must be the biggest selling point for Jon, we know how frugal he is.''

She cocked an eyebrow at the Iowan. ''There's nothing wrong with being frugal, you know. When you grow up with so little, you take what you can get. That's not something you can just shake off when you suddenly have money.''

''How did you manage?''

She furrowed her eyebrows. ''What?''

''When you left home you were, what, thirteen?'' Colby questioned, continuing at her nod. ''How did you have enough money to survive?''

''I...''

Alexa trailed off, biting her lip as her mind drifting off to thoughts of her past. She had never actually given much thought into how Mando had been able to afford to take her in all those years ago. She knew he had some money, but enough to spend on someone elses kid; raising them, feeding them, clothing them... she wasn't sure how he did it.

''I don't know, I... I never really thought about it. I mean, Mando just took care of me, you know? I never asked where he got the money from. Then, when I went to Mexico, I stayed with some of my Dad's friends and then when I started making some money, I paid them back.''

''What about your Mom, didn't she give you anything when you left home?''

''No, all she did was pay for my flight to Texas.''

Joe shook his head in disbelief. He had vaguely heard about her childhood from other people, but to hear that a woman could treat her own daughter like that, made him sick to his stomach.

''Didn't your Dad leave you anything when he died?''

''Colby!'' Joe's eyes widened at his bluntness, shooting him a glare.

''No, no.'' Alexa mumbled, shaking her head. ''He's actually got a point...''

The two-toned man shot his friend a triumphant look, the man just rolling his eyes in response. ''First time for everything.''

Ignoring him, Colby turned his attention back to Alexa, taking in the thoughtful expression on her face. ''Maybe you should go speak to Vickie about it.''

''Yeah.'' She muttered distractedly. ''Maybe...''

Joe's booming laughter put a halt to the conversation and the other two shot him questioning looks; the Samoan just nodding his head towards the monitor, where they were showing the Superstars taping that was taking place in the ring.

''That new girl, the red head-''

''Eva Marie?'' She supplied, following his eyes to the screen.

''Yeah, her. She just botched the announcing, she forgot Jinder.''

Alexa snorted, shaking her head as she watched 3MB enter the ring, not looking too impressed with the flame-haired diva.

''Did I tell you that she came over and introduced herself while I was working out last week, with the little one...''

''JoJo?''

''Yeah.'' Joe nodded. ''It was really weird, they were all giggly and shit.''

''Why are they even using her on TV so soon, she's awful.'' Colby proclaimed, his eyes glued to the screen.

''She's also gorgeous, which is _way_ more important.'' She replied sarcastically.

Jon appeared behind her, placing a kiss on the top of her head. ''She's got nothing on you, babe.''

''God, pass me a sick bag.'' Colby teased.

Shooting him the finger, the Ohioan glanced down at his girlfriend. ''April was looking for you. She seemed a bit... on edge, you should go find her.''

* * *

''Lex! Hey, I've been-'' April paused, taking in her friend's flaming cheeks and exasperated appearance before looking at her with concern. ''Are you okay?''

''Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.'' She exhaled, dragging a hand through her hair. ''I just got pounced on by the Total Diva's crew, they had me film some scenes... it was awful.''

The younger woman winced, shooting her a sympathetic look. ''How did you get roped into doing that? I thought you were dead against it.''

''I was, but since I need time off when the movie comes out next year, they kind of roped me into making a few cameos. Fuckers.''

''I know, me neither... they asked me when you turned it down. Of course, I said no.'' April told her. ''I mean, I'm not completely against it, but me, as a person, I just couldn't do it.''

''I know, me neither... they asked me when you turned it down. Of course, I said no.'' April told her. ''I mean, I'm not completely against it, but me, as a person, I just couldn't do it.''

''You're like me; you just love wrestling and that's what you're here to do, you're not interested in being famous.''

''Totally! I'm perfectly happy being who I am on TV two days a week and on live events and then going into my little hole in the middle of nowhere and having no one talk to me about my private life.'' She waved her script in the air. ''But because I said no, Vince wants me to go out there tonight and tell everyone _why_...''

''Well, that's Vince for you. I think he likes people who are really brave and quirky and like to take risks and stir the pot sometimes, you know? My whole 'pipebomb' back in January was his idea, I just ran with it.'' Alexa cocked her head to the side, glancing down at the paper. ''Have they given you a base script?''

''Nope. It's all on me.''

''So, none of the other girls know what you're going to say?''

''Lex, _I _don't even know what I'm going to say!'' April shook her head, chuckling. ''Can you help me?''

''Sure. Let me see what you have so far...''

* * *

_ KaitlynWWE: To be fair, going one on one with any member of the shield is a very popular fantasy #RAW_

_ KaitlynWWE: The real question is whether or not Miz went commando in Fandango's pants. #ballsy #RAW_

Alexa let out a soft snort as she glanced over the top of her phone. ''You are gross... I love it.''

Celeste just grinned back at her, before a look of realization crossed her face. ''Hey, you know that Rosa was back?''

''Yeah, I actually saw her earlier in the locker room.'' She replied, a soft smile crossing her lips. ''I was kind of expecting her to be pissed at me for ratting her out to Mark but she was really nice about it, she even thanked me.''

''What for?''

''I'm not really sure, there was a lot of crying... I think she's just grateful that I forced her into getting the help she needed. She thinks if she had carried on the way she was, she wouldn't be here today.''

''Sounds like rehab did her good. Let's hope-''

A sharp knock at the door interrupted her and one of the producer's peered around the doorway, catching Alexa's attention. ''We need you for your segment now.''

* * *

**RAW**

_The camera cut from Josh Matthews' interview of Christian and Randy Orton to show Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns; the three members of the Shield were conversing quietly in a darkened area of the building, presumably going over plans for their gauntlet match against Daniel Bryan later that night._

_The strategizing was soon brought to a halt when the door to the room suddenly slammed open, their gaze moving to Sierra, who was storming towards them._

_''What's got your panties all in a twist?''_

_''My panties have nothing to do with you, as much as you wish they did.'' She came to a halt in front of them, looking up at the United States Champion with a scowl. ''When were you going to tell me about joining The Authority?''_

_The three men shared a look before Dean responded. ''Hunter told us not to.''_

_''Oh, he did, did he? Did he say why?''_

_''He said you'd try to talk us out of it.''_

_''Damn right, I would have! What are you guys thinking?!'' She cried, throwing her hands up in exasperation. ''You have no idea what that man is capable of, he's a__ manipulative, lying-''_

_Seth stepped forward, cutting her off. ''We know what we're doing, alright?''_

_''No. I don't-''_

_''We do.'' The two-toned man insisted. ''Look, we're sorry we didn't tell you but it's done now. And whether you like it or not, you're a part of this too.''_

_Schooling her face into a blank expression, she crossed her arms over her chest, meeting his gaze defiantly. ''What if I don't want to be a part of this?''_

_''What?'' Dean interjected incredulously. ''Why wouldn't you be?''_

_''Aside from the fact that you've signed a deal with the devil himself?'' She counted with a sigh. ''You guys are meant to be fighting injustice, you should be helping Daniel Bryan, not beating him.''_

_The trio shared another look, Dean raising his eyebrow in amusement. ''I think your definition of 'injustice' has changed... you know, we all have to answer to the board of directors, and they have to answer to the WWE Universe... let me ask you, Sierra... why is it?''_

_''Because, ultimately, __**they**__ are the reason we're here! They're the reason we're able to cash our paychecks each month! They-''_

_''No! You're completely wrong. It's a popularity contest.'' He narrowed his eyes at her, his voice low as he spoke. ''You used to be able to see that.''_

_She cocked her head to the side, her tone challenging. ''What about Randy?''_

_''What about Randy?'' He repeated, stepping closer to her. ''This isn't about him. It's about Daniel Bryan and the fact that he didn't deserve that title shot. He didn't __**earn **__it, he won it through popularity. It's nothing personal, we would have done the same thing to anybody else.''_

_Sierra kept quiet, her eyes studying the three men intently before looking back at Dean and speaking softly. ''Fine... Fine, whatever. Just... just let me know what's happening next time, okay?''_

_Roman spoke up for the first time. ''We will.''_

_Seth slung an arm over her shoulder, smiling down at her. ''So, you're on board?''_

_''I'm not exactly happy about mixing with The Authority...'' She chewed her bottom lip for a moment before flicking her gaze between them. ''But we're a team... we're in this together.''_

* * *

_''And we're back live on Monday Night Raw, the stage is filled with WWE Superstars ordered out here tonight by COO Triple H, to watch what's going to happen to Daniel Bryan. And, if anyone gets involved, they will be fired!'' Michael announced from ringside._

_Flight of the Valkyries hit and the crowd cheered as the man appeared at the top of the stage, the sea of Superstars parting for him as he made his way through. _

_''Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a gauntlet match! Approaching the ring, from Aberdeen, Washington, weighing two-hundred and ten pounds, Daniel Bryan!''_

_''You know King, earlier tonight Daniel Bryan said to Triple H, 'Thank you, for ending this charade and showing your true colours at Summerslam because you're view of a champion is as narrow-minded as '.''_

_''Well...'' King trailed off, watching the man inside the ring lift his arms up and down while the crowd chanted along. ''And then he went on to put some true colours on that escalade of Randy Orton's. I hope that Daniel Bryan's not biting off more than he can chew here.''_

_JBL snorted. ''He's biting off a lot more than he can chew, I guarantee it.''_

_**SIERRA. HOTEL. INDIA. ECHO. LIMA. DELTA. SHIELD.**_

_''And, representing the Shield, weighing two-hundred-seventeen pounds, he is one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions, Seth Rollins!''_

_The three men, accompanied by Sierra, made their way down the aisle as the man inside the ring paced anxiously._

_''Now, guys, earlier on tonight we saw Sierra confront her team-mates about their actions recently. She said she was angry about being kept out of the loop and had her reservations about, one, getting involved with The Authority and two, their actions against Daniel Bryan.'' Michael relayed. ''Do you think she's going to stick with The Shield or-''_

_''Of course she will, Michael!'' JBL cut across him. ''Like she said, they're a team and they're in this together.''_

_''I don't know...'' King shook his head. ''I've known Sierra a long, long time and she's not stupid. I think she's finally starting to see things for what they really are, the rose-tinted glasses are coming off, so to speak.''_

_''I think you're wrong, King.'' JBL spoke up. ''I think she knows she's got a good thing going with The Shield and, if she's as clever as you say, then she won't do anything to jeopardize that.''_

_''Well, that all remains to be seen. I do, however, understand her hesitance in joining the Authority.'' Michael commented. ''She's had her issues with both Triple H and Randy Orton in the past.''_

_King snorted. ''That's putting it lightly. _

_''Well, maybe you can ask her about it now, it looks like she'll be joining us.'' JBL said, standing up and handed the woman a spare headset and sitting down once she had taken a seat. ''Sierra, welcome.''_

_''Thank you, John.'' She peered down the table, nodding at the other two men. ''Hey, guys.''_

_''So, here we go.'' Michael started as the bell sounded and the two men in the ring locked up. ''Seth Rollins starting things of against Daniel Bryan, who is running the gauntlet tonight against The Shield and in three weeks time, at Night of Champions will face Randy Orton for the WWE title, IF he makes it that far.''_

_''You're right about that.'' King said, before turning to Sierra. ''What do you think Sierra? I mean, you didn't seem too happy, you even said that they should be helping Daniel and not beating him.''_

_''I think... that we should really be focusing on the match.'' She responded, eyes focused on the ring where Daniel Bryan was getting the upper hand over her team-mate. ''I mean, what is it that Triple H said earlier, that he was giving Daniel the gift that keeps on giving? One Shield member after another, depending on him being successful against Seth Rollins... I think he's right and Daniel Bryan should consider himself lucky to be able to get in the ring with these guys.''_

_''Lucky?'' King spluttered incredulously. ''Lucky-''_

_''Seth Rollins doesn't look very lucky right now!'' Michael cried._

_Inside the ring, Daniel had just managed to lock in the surfboard on his opponent; the Iowan screaming in pain as he fought to get out of the hold._

_''Daniel Bryan, a submission specialist, trying to get Rollins to tap out! What is he going to do here?''_

_''Rollins may have to tap right here.'' JBL said sadly._

_Sierra remained silent, watching on as Seth reached back and yanked on Daniel's hair before delivering a punch to the side of his face, forcing him to release the hold. The two-toned man fell forward, grasping his knee as his face screwed up in pain._

_''Rollins hurt that knee last week on Smackdown.'' JBL reminded them._

_''Triple H telling Bryan tonight, that I'm all about opportunity. You want to live your dream and your fantasy, do it tonight, do it in a gauntlet match.''_

_''JBL, I can see the look on your face as you look at Daniel Bryan. You just think that because of the way he looks he doesn't deserve to be the face of the WWE.'' King accused._

_The announcers ooh'ed along with the crowd when Seth Rollins was sent over the top rope with a hard clothesline, Daniel following him over and quickly rising to his feet._

_''Image is everything, King.'' JBL stated. ''You got the chance to have Randy Orton be the face of the WWE, you take it, no offence to Daniel Bryan.''_

_''Now, Daniel Bryan being closed in...''_

_The man's eyes darted from left to right nervously as Roman and Dean slowly stalked towards him from either side, causing enough of a distraction for Seth to get up and spear him into the barricade. After slamming his head onto the ring apron and sending him flying back into the barricade, Seth yanked him up by his hair and threw him back into the ring, sharing a quick high-five with Roman before rolling in after him._

_''I want to know what's up with the Shield too, guys, the fact of the matter that the 'Hounds of Justice' have seemingly become some kind of security force of some type to Triple H.''_

_''You think __**this**__ is Triple H's idea of justice?'' King scoffed, watching as Seth launched another attack on his opponent. ''What we're seeing here tonight?''_

_''Well, why don't you ask Sierra, Michael?'' JBL suggested. ''I'm sure she knows exactly what the deal is.''_

_''The Shield is only doing what is best for business.'' She replied, monotone._

_''Do you honestly believe that? We all heard what you said earlier, that you thought you should be helping Dani-''_

_''It doesn't matter what I thought.'' She quickly interjected. ''Triple H wants to send a message and he's enlisted our help in doing that, it doesn't matter if we like it or not. We're just doing what's-''_

_''Best for business.'' Michael finished with an eye-roll. ''Yeah, we get it.''_

_''Seems to me like you're the only member of the Shield who doesn't like it.'' King pointed out gently. ''Those three guys seem perfectly happy going along with whatever Triple H decides is, 'best for business'.''_

_''Like I said before, I may not like or agree with some of the things he does, but...'' Sierra trailed off with a sigh. _

_''But, what?'' King encouraged._

_''At the end of the day, we've just got to trust that Hunter knows what's best for business.'' She eventually replied, her tone clearly indicating her distaste for the man. _

_''See! She knows what she's doing, King!'' JBL added happily._

_In the ring, Daniel was just started to launch a comeback; levelling Seth with a hard clothesline as he rebounded off the ropes._

_''And Bryan, taking Rollins down!'' Micheal cried excitedly. _

_Seth managed to get to his knees and Daniel started delivering hard kicks to the man's chest, the audience shouting 'YES' in unison as each one landed. Just as he aimed a final kick to the two-toned man's head, he quickly ducked out-of-the-way and rolled himself under the bottom rope. Daniel moved over, leaning over the top rope to grab Seth's hair and yank him up to his feet._

_''What do you think will happen if Daniel wins here, Sierra?'' Michael asked._

_Reaching back, Seth grabbed a hold of his opponents head before dropping down to outside the ring. Daniel's throat hit the rope and he was sent reeling back into the ring, attempting to get to his feet while Seth climbed to the top rope._

_''If he wins, which, no offense to Daniel, I highly doubt, then I think it'd really show Triple H what he's made of.''_

_Launching himself from the top, Seth went for a curb-stomp on Daniel, only for him to miss and have it reversed on him; the other man locking in the half-crab._

_''What's Rollins going to do here?!''_

_Dean and Roman pounded on the apron, shouting encouragement as the other man screamed in pain, his arm reaching towards the bottom rope._

_''Is Rollins going to tap, he's about a half-arms length away from the bottom rope!''_

_He managed to stretch just far enough to get a grip on the rope, the referee forcing Daniel to release the hold while Seth rolled away from him. _

_''The one thing Daniel Bryan needs to do if he's going to survive, is get a quick victory.'' JBL told them. ''He needs to get a victory over Rollins.''_

_The crowd let out a cheer as Daniel ran towards the fallen man, hitting a baseball slide which sent him flying out of the ring, landing with a thud just in front of the announce table._

_''But-'' JBL continued. ''He still has Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, the muscle of the group, waiting on him.''_

_''And here comes Daniel Bryan... Look out, look out!''_

_''Oh my God!'' King cried as he darted out-of-the-way._

_While Seth was staggering to his feet, Daniel ran the ropes before flying out with a suicide dive; landing right on the Iowan and sending him sailing over the top of the table and right into Sierra, who wasn't quick enough to get out-of-the-way._

_''Good grief!'' JBL cried, pushing his chair back as he knelt down. ''You alright?''_

_Her headset had fallen off during the kerfuffle so only Sierra's muffled confirmation could be heard, the woman scrambling to get out from under Seth's heavy body. He shifted further under the table and she quickly scooted out-of-the-way, JBL offering her a hand before helping her up._

_Roman and Dean were shouting warnings at Daniel as he got to his feet, the man ignoring them as he moved around the table. He spared Sierra, who had a pained expression on her face, a brief glance before he reached down and grabbed Seth, throwing him head-first into the barricade._

_The crowd were enthusiastically chanting 'YES' while Daniel dragged the other man back to the ring, sending a small smirk towards Roman and Dean, the two men glaring back but making no move to attack._

_''Well, that was... unexpected.'' King laughed as he re-took his seat, peering over at Sierra who was doing the same. ''You took a pretty nasty hit there, you okay?''_

_''I'm fine.'' She insisted with a scowl. ''But, I don't think Daniel Bryan's going to be.''_

_Seth had quickly re-gained control of the match as soon as they were back inside the ring, much to the displeasure of the crowd. He maintained control for the next few minutes, until he spent too long setting up for a top rope suplex; Daniel escaping and fighting back with a German suplex of his own._

_''Wow!'' King exclaimed with a laugh. ''Wow!''_

_''That was unbelievable!'' JBL echoed._

_''Yeah.'' Even Sierra had to agree. ''That was something alright.''_

_The crowd were on their feet as Daniel pulled himself up using the ropes, the noise getting louder as they sensed what was coming. Pumping his arms up and down in the air, the crowd started chanting 'YES' along with him._

_''Bryan being spurred along by the WWE fans.'' Michael called, voice lace with excitement. ''They're behind Bryan one hundred percent, here on Raw!''_

_He laid Seth out with a running knee to the face before dropping down to cover him._

_''Daniel Bryan!''_

_1!_

_''Hook of the leg-''_

_2!_

_''He's got him!''_

_3!_

_Sierra's eyes widened in shock as the audience roared around them. ''Oh my God!''_

_''Bryan beat Rollins!'' Michael cried happily, letting out a laugh._

_''Oh!''_

_''And here comes Ambrose!''_

_Wasting no time, Dean rushed into the ring and started stomping away at the man while he was still down; a heavy rain of boos falling down on him. _

_''Oh, come on!'' King groaned. ''Doesn't he get a break?!''_

_''The gauntlet match continues, with the United States Champion, Dean Ambrose!''_

_Dean reached down and roughly pulled the other man up, only for Daniel to grab his arm and twist it, pushing him down to the mat and locking in the Yes Lock._

_''Look at this!'' King squawked._

_JBL laughed. ''Right in the middle of the ring!'' _

_''The Yes Lock, the Yes Lock- oh, Roman Reigns breaks it up!''_

_The Samoan had darted into the ring as soon as his teammate showed signs of tapping; the referee immediately calling for the bell._

_''I think Dean Ambrose has been disqualified!'' King stated._

_Clutching his arm in pain, the United States Champion rolled out-of-the-way and Roman reached down to grab Daniel. Expecting this, the bearded man latched onto his arm and pulled him into the Yes Lock, much to the delight of the crowd._

_''Daniel Bryan's got Reigns now! And- the official has got to get Ambrose out of there, he's lost all control here!''_

_Just like Roman had saved him, Dean was quick to break up the submission move applied to the Samoan; stomping away at Daniel as the other man recovered. Seth soon joined them in the ring, the group launching a three-on-one attack as the crowd jeered._

_''And it's three-on-one!ly. And none of the Superstars up on the stage can help!'' Michael shouted angrily. ''They cannot help Bryan, or they'll be fired.'' _

_''Oh, come on!'' King added. ''How can you sit here and watch your 'friends' do this?''_

_Sierra's mouth formed a thin line as she yanked off her headset, rising from her chair to stalk towards the ring. _

_''What is she doing?'' JBL wondered. _

_The woman hovered outside the ring, leaning on the apron and watching with wide-eyes as Seth and Dean held Daniel in place long enough for Roman to hit him with a vicious-looking spear. Shaking her head, she stepped over to where the three men were gathered in the corner, their attention immediately turning to her as she said something that wasn't picked up by the cameras._

_''What is she-''_

_**IT'S ALL ABOUT THE GAME, AND HOW YOU PLAY IT-**_

_''Well, there's the man that set this all up.'' Michael noted._

_The COO sauntered out onto the stage, his eyes moving back and forth between the talent gathered before finally landing on the Big Show. The pair locked eyes for a few, tense moments before the bigger man finally looked away, shaking his head in disgust._

_''And again, much like last week, Triple H with the nod...''_

_After giving the three men down in the ring the signal, he watched on as they dropped Daniel with a triple powerbomb, his eyes daring anyone to step up and help._

_''Daniel Bryan won't be spray painting any more cars tonight.'' JBL joked._

_Sierra's brow knitted together in concern as she watched the man land hard on the mat, her expression similar to the one the Big Show just had on his face._

_''The Shield doing Triple H's dirty work, again!''_

_''Nobody's going to do anything, I can promise you that.'' JBL told him firmly. ''Not if they want to keep their jobs.''_

_The boos increased tenfold as soon as Randy Orton's music hit, Sierra rolling her eyes from ringside as the man slowly made his way down to the ring._

_''Oh no.'' King mumbled. ''Randy Orton said earlier, than Daniel Bryan was going to pay for what he did to his car.''_

_Dean, Roman and Seth lifted Daniel up as Randy slid into the ring, smirking as the crowd started to chant for the Big Show, willing him to come to Daniel's aid. The Viper spent a few moments taunting him before nailing him with the RKO. _

_''This is sickening.'' Michael spat. ''An RKO on an absolutely defenseless Daniel Bryan.''_

_The Big Show was glaring angrily at Triple H as Randy headed back up the ramp, leaving Daniel's prone form laying at the feet of The Shield. _

_''Guys, can you imagine what an uncomfortable position every one of those superstars is in right now?'' King asked his colleagues. _

_Randy raised the WWE Title above his head as __Triple H mockingly turned to face the roster, daring them to laugh. _

_''Spray painting a man's car isn't so funny now, is it?'' JBL questioned softly._

_''It's about more than that.'' Michael rebuked. ''A lot more.''_

_RAW went off the air with The Shield standing over Daniel Bryan with their fists together, while Sierra watched on from outside the ring; her arms folded over her chest and a look of shame on her face._


	76. Chapter 76

A/N

I know I'm not really supposed to do this but... oh well.

Sorry to do this to you, but I think I'm going to be going on a hiatus, just until the New Year. I've really lost my groove on this story and the lack of reviews isn't really helping give me any inspiration. Huge thank you to the few of you who review every week, you have no idea how much I appreciate it.

Hopefully be back in the New Year.

Merry Christmas to you all :)


	77. Chapter 77

**Tuesday 27th August**

_ realmickfoley: I adore nicoleandbri, but that was a tremendous promo by WWEAJLee. AJ keeps it real! #RAW_

_ WWEGraves: I wholeheartedly agree with every word WWEAJLee just said. #Raw_

_ WWERoadDogg: Total Divas whole cast is probably kicking the crap out of WWEAJLee in the back right now! Wow, what a scathing promo! #RAW #HEAT_

_ CMPunk: Yup. That's how it's done. #pipebombshell_

_ RealMikeBennett: AJ speaking the truth, what an incredible promo. She just showed why she's above every diva. That was awesome. Was that an AJ pipe bomb?_

_ RealPaigeWWE: Tell em WWEAJLee ;) #WWE #RAW_

_ WWECameron: Aj you have "it" all because how many of the top guys have you been with? Oh and btw remember this boo, only way from top is bottom! #raw Did I forget mention WWEAJLee I may not be a top girl but at least I can go to bed at night knowing I have a clean conscious. #girlbye_

_ NaomiWWE:" WWEAJLee congrats u r officially crazy as hell I can't wait to show you how a #realathlete represents the diva's championship #TotalDivas_

_ SashaBanksWWE: WWEAJLee speaking the truth!_

_ KaitlynWWE: I want to hate AJ... But sometimes I just can't. #RAW_

_ natalieevamarie: Let's see AJ would you have said no to this opportunity I was given I don't think so I'm super grateful and work hard everyday to be here!_

_ TheRealXPac: Most of the male talent would be main eventing if they could work the mic that good._

_ ItsJoseann: AJ of all people should know that dynamite comes in small packages. You just watch. And I work hard EVERYDAY. If you were given this opportunity, you wouldn't have turned it down. That father comment to nicoleandbri hit home for me, AJ. That was unnecessary._

_ NatbyNature: Champ, sometimes it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool rather than speaking up and removing all doubt._

_ nicoleandbri: AJ remember you would be nothing if WWE didn't partner you up with every top guy. Try being a diva that makes it on your own. Also, bringing up my Dad, AJ, will be something u will regret. Btw how r ur parents like? Oh wait we hear you sob about it all the time. Lastly 4 the jealous 1 AJ try defending ur title &amp; know we all have had a tough road 2 get here. Don't 4get the bad things u did 2 be here._

Alexa looked up from the screen of April's phone, letting out a whistle. ''So, they're pretty pissed then?''

''Understatement of the century.'' The other woman grumble, shoving it back into the pocket of her hoody. ''Surely they see that this is only going to generate more buzz for us?''

''Well, they _were_ kind of blind sided with it... But, I mean, Nattie gets it, she knows that it's nothing personal and it's just to further the storyline.''

''The twins have _already_ gone whining to Carano.'' April scowled. ''You know me, Lex, I'm not a troublemaker but when I go out there I... turn into this douchey jerk and it's so different. So, yeah, it was kind of rude, and terrible, and brutally honest but I really think it'll help us all in the long run.''

''I know, I completely agree with you.''

''Let's just hope that certain people can try and stay professional about it.'' She added, her tone doubtful. ''Hey, so, there was kind of something I wanted to talk to you about.''

''Okay.'' She drawled. ''That sounds ominous.''

April chuckled nervously before blurting out. ''MeandPhilhavekindofbeenseeingeachother.''

It took a few moments for Alexa to get her head around the jumbled words but as soon as she understood, her face broke out into a happy smile. ''That's awesome.''

''Really?'' She smiled, pushing her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose. ''You're not, like, mad?''

''Why would I be mad? You're both my friends, I'm glad that you're both happy.'' She assured softly. ''How long's this bee going on?''

''Not long, maybe a month? He's... he's an amazing guy and we have so much in common. He's smart and funny and he's pretty damn sexy-''

Alexa's loud snort cut her off, her hand coming up to quickly cover her mouth as she laughed. ''Sorry, sorry... but 'Phil' and 'sexy' should never be used in the same sentence. Like, ever.''

''Noted.'' April laughed, shaking her head. ''So... what's the plan for you after you split with the guys?''

''Not completely sure, I mean, I think I'm going to be causing trouble for them for a while but, after that...'' She trailed off, shrugging. ''Who knows?''

''Well, I hope they let us do a _real_ program soon, since the last one kind of fizzled out.''

''Hopefully.'' She agreed. ''Hey, you never know, we could have a match at 'Mania.''

''That would be awesome.''

''I know, right?''

''Maybe we should come up with some ideas and go straight to Vince with it.'' April suggested, her eyes sparkling with eagerness. ''We've got plenty of time to come up with something in the run up to Mania, we just have to make it so awesome that he can't say no.''

* * *

**Sunday 1st September**

''Dude, your dog's trying to hump my leg.''

Alexa laughed, watching on as Colby and Leighla's dog excitedly pawed at her boyfriend's denim clad leg. Shoving her bag into Jon's arms, she crouched down and beckoned the small creature towards her. ''C'mere Kevin.''

Jon shook his head as the dog rushed towards her, the woman picking him up and cradling him against her chest. ''I hope it pees on you.''

''_He_.'' She corrected with a tut, standing and quickly turning her gaze on Colby. ''He won't, will he?''

''Of course not.'' The man shook his head with a small chuckle. ''He's fully trained.''

Alexa turned to poke her tongue out at her boyfriend before resuming her cooing over the animal. ''Aren't you just the cutest little thing, huh? Yes, you are.''

''God, you're _such _a girl.'' Jon teased, a small smile gracing his lips.

Keeping her eyes on the bundle in her arms, she smirked. ''Well, I don't usually hear you complaining...''

Colby clapped his hand down on the other man's shoulder before he could bite out a retort. ''Come on dude, I'll help you get the bags out of the car.''

The pair had landed at Quad City International a few hours ago, and after a long delay in waiting for their luggage, had finally made it to Colby and Leighla's place in Davenport. Raw the following evening was being held in Des Moines, so the couple had kindly offered Alexa and Jon their guest room to save them booking into a hotel for the night.

''Leighla at work?'' Alexa questioned, stepping back as the two men dragged the cases through the door.

''Yeah, she should be home soon though.'' Colby replied, kicking the door shut with his foot before dragging the bag towards stairs. ''Come on, I'll show you guys the room.''

* * *

''This is a really nice place.''

''Thank you. It's finally starting to feel like home, you know?''

Alexa nodded, sending the woman a small smile before taking a sip of her wine.

Leighla had arrived home just after Colby had finished giving them the grand tour of the house, bringing with her some take-out for the group. After wolfing down their pizza, Jon and Colby headed over to the gym while Alexa decided to hang back. Most of her time was spent with the guys, and although she loved them all to death, it was nice to finally be in the company of another woman.

So, taking advantage of girl-time, the two women had grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses before making themselves comfortable on the rooftop patio; the silhouette of Davenport City Hall illuminated in the distance by the a spectacular sunset.

''So, Colby tells me you and Jon have been looking for your own place in Vegas? How's that going?''

A smile instantly broke out on Alexa's face. ''We actually put an offer in on a house last week.''

''That's awesome, congratulations.''

''Thanks.'' She took another swig from her glass before letting out a small chuckle. ''It's going to be tough finding the time to actually move in, what with us both being on the road five days a week, but we'll get there eventually...''

''I'm sure Colby will be happy to help.'' Leighla pointed out. ''I mean, Jon did help us move all our shit up from Florida, so he kind of owes him one.''

''Hmm, that's true...'' Alexa chewed her lip for a moment, wondering who else she could rope in to help them with their move. ''The offer hasn't even been accepted yet, I'm trying not to think about it too much because I'll only stress myself out.''

''Not a fan of moving?''

''I _hate_ it.''

''Considering you practically live out of a suitcase, that's really surprising.''

''That's different. All I have to do is re-pack my case once a week and I'm set. Moving house is just one massive pain in the ass... and I've got so much crap I have to sort through.'' She flung her head back with a loud groan. ''_And_ I've still got a lot of stuff at my old place in Canada...''

Leighla's eyebrows shot up. ''How long have you been in Florida?''

''Uh... four years.''

She snorted. ''That's really bad.''

''I know. Like I said, I hate moving. Anything I didn't really need, I didn't pack up.''

''You guys are in Canada next week, right? You could always see if you could grab your stuff then, arrange for it to be shipped to you in Florida ready for the move.''

''That's actually a really good idea.'' She conceded, making a mental note to give her old friend a ring to see if she could go pick up her stuff.

''I try.'' Leighla joked, bringing the glass to her lips.

''So, I know you and Colby have been together, like, forever.'' Alexa said, hand darting up to whisk away several strands of hair the nightly breeze blew over her face. ''But he's never told me how the two of you met. ''

''We met while I was still at college. I was working as a waitress part time to pay the bills and he came in to eat with his buddies one night... it kind of went from there.''

''Were you a fan of wrestling before?''

''No.'' Leighla shook her head, scoffing lightly. ''I'm still not, to be honest, I only watch for him... One night he came in with some friends they were watching some pay-per-view or something while I was taking their orders, and he just blurted out that he was actually a professional wrestler. I actually thought he was full of shit.''

''I bet it's hard though, him being on the road all the time.''

Her finger ran over the rim of her wine glass as nodded. ''It can be, but this is his dream, you know? Just because it gets tough sometimes doesn't mean I'd ever take that away from him.''

''He's really lucky to have you.''

''We're lucky to have each other.'' She amended, a smile teasing the corner of her lips for a moment. ''What about you and Jon, how did you and Jon get together?''

''We kind of, uh... we had this whole friends-with-benefits deal going on... it kind of grew from there.''

Leighla whistled. ''You guys must have got lucky, that kind of thing never usually ends well for anyone.''

''It nearly didn't. I broke things off with him when I realized I was starting to fall for him, we barely spoke for about four months after that.''

''Then what happened?''

''He broke into my house in the middle of the night and persuaded me to give him a chance.''

''You're shitting me?''

''I shit you not.'' She laughed. ''It was right after I returned to TV and I had flown back late the night before. I was super tired and then this noise woke me up at, like, four in the morning. I grabbed my baseball bat on the way downstairs, I thought I was being robbed or something. Luckily, Jon managed to move out-of-the-way before I could do any damage.''

Leighla covered her mouth with her hand, trying to keep in the laughter. ''I'm sorry, that's fucking hilarious... but somehow kind of romantic, at the same time. ''

Alexa couldn't contain her smile. ''Yeah, it-''

''_Boo_!''

The two women jumped as Colby's voice suddenly boomed from behind them, almost causing Alexa to spill her glass of wine all over her lap.

''Urgh, you are such a turd.''

''Sorry.'' He grinned, not looking the least bit apologetic. ''Couldn't resist.''

''Hey, beautiful.'' Jon greeted as he dropped into the seat beside her.

''Barf.'' Colby smirked, earning himself a slap from his girlfriend.

The Ohioan turned around, flipping the bird in the other man's direction with a scowl. ''Screw you, Lopez.''

Moving her palm to the side of Jon's scruffy jaw, she gently turned his face towards hers before softly pressing her lips against his. She pulled away after a moment and brushed the tip of her nose against his, opening her eyes to find him starting back at her.

''Hey yourself.''

''Jeez, get a room.'' Colby teased before remembering where they were. ''Forget I said that, I _really_ don't want to have to bleach the guest room...''

Leighla shook her head with a laugh. ''Hey, babe, did Jon ever tell about the time he broke into Lex's house...''

* * *

**Monday 2nd September**

''Sweetie, you look all kinds of shit... what's wrong?''

Alexa had walked into the women's locker room the night, which had been empty save for the twins who were sitting in the corner, talking quietly between themselves. Well, Brie had been doing the talking while Nikki just sat there, a look of utter dejection on her face.

The twins had looked up at her question, Nikki heaving out a sigh before speaking softly. ''Well, you know how I just moved in with John?''

Alexa fought the urge to roll her eyes, of course she knew, it was all the woman had been talking about for weeks. ''Yeah, what about it?''

''So, I'd moved in, like, all of my stuff when he comes in with this paperwork which he asks me to sign. I look at it and it's this... cohabitation agreement or whatever.'' Nikki waved her hands about as she explained. ''It basically says that I'm a guest in his home, I'll be accountable to and damage or missing property and if he ever asks me to leave, I'd have to vacate myself and all my possessions within forty-eight hours of the request.''

Alexa's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. ''Seriously?''

She nodded sadly, whining. ''God, I don't know what to do.''

Brie rolled her eyes from beside her. ''I've already told you, Nicole, you need to quit hiding and talk to him instead of talking to us.''

''Wait, you haven't spoken to him about this?''

Her sister shook her head. ''She just took off after he gave her the contract.''

''Brie's right, Nik, you'll have to talk to him about it eventually.''

''I know, but- hey, aren't you and Jon moving in together soon?'' Nikki asked curiously, continuing at the other woman's nod. ''Has he asked you to sign any stupid contracts?''

Alexa snorted. ''Well, no, but it's not really the same is it?''

''What? Yes it is.''

''Look, Nik, any idiot can see that John really loves you but after everything that happened with Liz... he earns a shit ton of money, right? I'm pretty sure he uses a lot of it to help his family and he probably doesn't want to risk losing that. I really doubt this was intended to hurt you in any way, he's just trying to protect himself.''

''See.'' Brie nudged her in the side, sending her a reassuring look. ''That's what I said.''

''I know...'' Nikki trailed off, glancing up at the other woman with a small smile. ''Thanks.''

Brie's head snapped towards Alexa after a few moments of silence. ''Hey, you hear about Hayes being suspended?''

''No!'' She replied, eyes widening in surprise. ''Why? What did he do?''

''Well, the official line is _personal reasons_.'' She air quoted the words. ''But apparently someone caught him at the hotel bar last week trying to give Milena alcohol.''

''Are you serious? He knows she's just got out of rehab, what a fucking idiot.''

Nikki smirked slyly. ''Maybe that's the only way she'll sleep with him.''

''Nicole!'' Brie admonished.

''What?''

''You're right... If I was her, I'd need to be pretty damn wasted to get into bed with that wrinkly, old-''

''_Lex_!''

''Eww.'' Nikki scrunched up her nose in disgust. ''No. I don't think there's enough alcohol in the world that would make me want his sweaty, hairy body on top of me...''

Brie sighed, shaking her head at the two women. ''Oh. My. God.''

* * *

**RAW**

_Coming back from the first commercial break of the evening, the titantron lit up and showed Randy Orton and Triple H making their way through the backstage area, their laughs echoing through the hallway._

_''- and when you said he had to fight Big Show tonight...'' Randy smirked, giving the other man a pat on the back._

_''The look on Big Show's face. __**That's**__ the look I'd have liked to of seen.'' Triple H chuckled. ''I mean, he's probably back here crying somewhere.''_

_The pair laughed at that and moved a few more steps down the hall before they came to a halt; smiles dropping from their faces as they came face to face with Cody Rhodes. There was an awkward pause as the man's eyes shifted between the pair nervously._

_''What's up, Cody?'' Triple H stepped forward, shaking the other man's hand firmly. ''How are you? How's it going?''_

_''Good.''_

_''How's your dad?''_

_''Oh, he's great.'' Cody smirked lightly. ''Thank you for asking... I just want to say, I think tonights main event will be great... as long as nobody gets involved.''_

_Triple H shared a look with Randy before returning his gaze back to Cody. ''Why would anybody get involved?''_

_Cody just shook his head, turning to his former Legacy team mate. ''Listen. Randy, I know you. Help me here. Why avoid a match with Daniel Bryan? Why don't you want to defend the title against Daniel Bryan? You're not scared of Daniel Bryan...'' He turned to the older man. ''With all due respect, with the utmost respect... Daniel Bryan versus Randy Orton IS what's best for business.''_

_Triple H let out a humourless chuckle. ''So, you're deciding what's best for business now? Last time I checked, I was deciding what's best for business... I wouldn't rely on your judgement for anything like that. And, I mean, I think Daniel Bryan versus the Big Show is what's best for business tonight and I can see how you're probably clouded on that, after all, you've got a lot on your mind lately. With, uh... you're getting married, and everything, right? You got a wedding coming up, you're probably busy planning that. A lot on your mind.''_

_Cody cleared his throat. ''Yeah.''_

_''Makes me, uh...'' He tapped Randy on the shoulder. ''Did you get an invitation to that wedding?''_

_''I didn't get an invitation.'' Randy replied, turning to raise an eyebrow at him. ''Did you?''_

_''No, I didn't-''_

_''Come on!'' Cody scoffed. ''Hey-''_

_''Funny.'' Triple H continued. ''But, uh, you know what, I went out of my way and, even though you didn't invite me, I got you a little something for your wedding. I got you an early wedding present. I got you a match. Tonight. One on one, with Randy Orton.''_

_''Thank you.'' A small, surprised grin broke out on the younger man's face. ''That's... thank you, very much. That's a huge opportunity.''_

_''It is a massive opportunity.'' He nodded, his tone turning cold. ''It's a massive opportunity to keep your employment... Because, if you don't win tonight Cody, then... I doubt you'll be here very long. Matter of fact, I know you won't be here very long... Good luck...''_

_Cody's face filled with dread as the words registered in his head, the man shifting his gaze to Randy for a brief moment before he clenched his jaw and started to stalk away._

_''Got a lot counting on it!'' Triple H called after him, turning to Randy with a smirk. ''Come on, we-''_

_The two men had turned around, intending to continue on the way they were originally headed, only to find Sierra standing in front of them; arms folded over her chest and an unimpressed look on her face._

_''I heard you wanted to see me.'' She asked casually, eyes flicking between the two men._

_''You heard right.'' Triple H nodded, looking down at her with narrowed eyes. ''Look... I know that we kind of went over your head when we offered The Shield a deal and I just wanted to make sure that we were all on the same page, so to speak.''_

_''And what page is that?'' Sierra cocked a brow. ''The page where I sit back and watch while you use them to fight your battles for you? While you get them to beat up anybody who doesn't agree with you? That page?''_

_''Sierra... how long have we known each other?''_

_''Too long.'' She shot back venomously._

_He ignored her. ''You know first hand what I'm capable of... do you really want to get on my bad side?''_

_Scoffing derisively under her breath, Sierra asserted. ''I wasn't aware that you had a good side.''_

_Pinching the bridge of his nose, he let out a heavy sigh before stepping towards her. ''While you may have some qualms about what we're doing, you're a part of this now, whether you like it or not. They refused to cut you loose when I asked and-''_

_''Excuse me?'' She hissed. ''You told them to get cut me loose?!''_

_''Of couse I did, you're a liability.'' He laughed. ''But, they refused, said you were a package deal... maybe they feel some sense of loyalty to you for bringing them up here, I don't know. But, it's only a matter of time before they realize that you're only going to hold them back... See, they KNOW that what we're doing is best for business, but you... you, just can't see that... I heard you on commentary last week, when they took out Daniel Bryan on Raw... it even looked like you were about to stop them before I came out... and when they decimated Dolph Ziggler on Smackdown... you looked like you were going to cry.''_

_She swallowed thickly, her gaze dropping to the floor as she spoke softly. ''What you're having them do... it's NOT what's best for business.''_

_''Look at me.'' Triple H demanded. ''I'm giving you one chance. One chance to change you mind and see the bigger picture. Tonight, I want you to accompany Randy to the ring for his match against Cody. Take a good long look at what happens to him... because if you aren't careful, it'll be you soon enough.''_

* * *

_**'I hear voices in my head, they council me, they understand, they talk to me...'**_

_''The winner of this match, the WWE World Champion... Randy Orton!''_

_The crowd were booing heavily as Randy slowly got to his feet, snatching his Championship belt from Charles Robinson._

_''Unfortunately, I think we've witnessed a first here tonight.'' King sighed from the announce table. ''Right before Cody's wedding, it looks like his career... is over...''_

_The referee went to raise Randy's hand but he snatched it away, his eyes searching ringside until they landed on Sierra with a smirk; his arm beckoning for her to enter the ring._

_''Uh-oh.'' King murmured. ''I wonder what he wants.''_

_Reluctantly, Sierra climbed through the ropes; moving over towards him with a look of caution as she asked what he wanted. Her face quickly turned into a scowl as he said something that the camera's couldn't pick up, the woman shaking her head in response._

_''Well, whatever it is, she obviously doesn't like it.'' Michael added, watching as the pair shared a few heated words inside the ring._

_Not even trying to hide the distaste from her face, Sierra stepped right up to Randy, took a hold of his wrist and raised it up in the air; the man smirking viciously. _

_King scoffed. ''Oh please-''_

_''Oh, c__all a whambulance!'' JBL cut in with an annoyed sigh. ''I don't know why she's got such a problem raising his hand, he won the match fair and square!''_

_''I'm pretty sure it's more the fact that she just doesn't like The Authority.'' Michael commented knowingly. ''And to be honest, I don't blame her.''_

_''Well, she needs to get over it! You heard Triple H earlier, she needs to be careful or she'll be joining Cody in the unemployment line!''_

_Sierra dropped the man's hand as soon as she could and climbed out of the ring, stalking up the ramp with Randy hot on her heels. The tall, imposing figure of the COO suddenly blocked her planned retreat to the back, causing the crowd to jeer unhappily._

_''Well, look who it is.'' King spoke, seemingly unsurprised at the man's appearance._

_Triple H nodded at Randy as the man made his way to the back, before his gaze dropped back to Sierra. She went to follow after the Champion but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her from moving._

_''Stay. I want you to watch this.'' _

_Triple H's soft words were picked up by the microphone as he turned her around, slinging an arm over her shoulder._

_''Everybody give it up for Cody! I've got to admit, Cody, you went all in. You fought like your life was on the line... man, you fought with heart, Cody... and I've got to tell you, from the bottom of my heart, personally, you have no idea how much I respect you. But, this is a business. And in business, I need winners. That's why I can't let my personal feelings cloud my judgement. I have to do what's right for everybody back here...''_

_Des Moines unleashed a heavy round of boos when they realized where this was going; Sierra was biting down on her lip as Cody's desperate pleas from inside the ring fell on deaf ears._

_''Cody, it's with deep regret that I have to tell you... you're fired.''_

_Boos were still raining down as Triple H wordlessly made his way backstage, leaving the woman alone at the top of the ramp; her teary gaze locked on the devastated form inside the ring._

_''Even I feel sorry for Cody.'' JBL murmured from ringside._

_Sierra briefly glanced around as an impassioned 'Thank You Cody' chant thundered through the arena, eyes finally moving back to rest on the man. She gazed at him sorrowfully for a few moments before bowing her head, turning around and making her way to the back._

* * *

_**BACKSTAGE FALLOUT**_

_''Sierra! Sierra!''_

_''What?'' The woman huffed, turning around and scowling at the man as he came to a halt. ''What do you want, Renee?''_

_''Can I have a few words from you?'' Josh asked politely._

_''Any particular words? I know several.'' She quipped, crossing her arms over her chest._

_''Last week you stood by and watched as your fellow Shield team-mates brutaly attacked Daniel Bryan, The Miz and Dolph Ziggler. You didn't appear to particularly... condone what you were seeing-''_

_Sierra eyes flashed and her mouth parted, ready to respond, before she quickly snapped it closed; instead, just raising an eyebrow at the interviewer._

_''What are your thoughts on what happened tonight?'' Josh wasn't put off, choosing to carry on his questioning. ''With Triple H practically threatening your job and forcing The Big Show to-''_

_''I think everyone knows what my thoughts are.'' She told him with a frown. ''On all of this.''_

_''Are you going to stay with The Authority?''_

_Sierra let out a derisive snort, shaking her head at the man in front of her. ''I'm not with The Authority, Josh, I'm with The Shield. My loyalty is to them, and them only. We were supposed to stand for justice... and I don't know how Triple H can promote whatever he's been doing lately as justice...''_

_''So... what are you going to do?''_

_''Well, right now I'm going back to my hotel room. I need some time to think about ever-''_

_''You're not staying for the rest of the show?'' He asked, eyebrows lifting in surprise._

_''Nope.'' She drawled, taking a step back and nodding at him. ''See you around, Matthews.''_

* * *

**A/N - Well, finally updated, sorry it's taken me so long. Please, please, please leave a review. Even if you think it's utter crap, just give me some feedback. Thanks :)**


	78. Chapter 78

**Tuesday 3rd September**

_ ReneeYoungWWE: TheDeanAmbrose sure likes his sneak attacks. A little uncalled for. #raw_

_ RealSierra: You know, sometimes his sneak attacks aren't all THAT bad... ;) _

''What are you doing?''

Alexa tilted her head as Jon's head appeared over her shoulder, his face nuzzling into her neck as he spoke. ''Nothing. Just staking my claim.''

The man groaned, placing a soft kiss to her cheek before flopping back on the bed. ''I already told you, you're being paranoid.''

''I'm not! Something about her just rubs me up the wrong way... she's always staring at you.''

He smirked, waving his hand over his naked torso. ''Can you blame her?''

''... Not really.'' She finally admitted as she tossed her phone aside, shuffling up the bed to lay on his chest.

''Uh... there's something I should probably tell you...''

Propping herself up on her elbows, she narrowed her eyes at him. ''What?''

Jon raked a hand through his hair, meeting her gaze with a look of trepidation. ''When you were away filming you movie and we were, you know... not together... Renee kind of asked me to go for a drink with her.''

She regarded him silently for a few moments before repsonding. ''Did you go?''

''What?''

''Did you go?''

''Of course not!'' He exclaimed incredulously. ''I told her to beat it... Colby and April were both there, they'll back me up.''

She leaned back into him, her palm coming up to rest over his heart. ''Alright.''

''Alright?'' He scoffed, peering down at her. ''That's it? You're not going to get angry?''

''I _am _pissed at you for not telling me sooner, but there's not much I can do about it now, is there? Besides, you didn't do anything wrong. She did. Has she asked since we've been back together?''

''No, no, it was just that one time.''

''But you'll tell me if it happens again, right?''

''Sure.''

''Good. Then I'll have an excuse to kick that scrawny bitch's ass.''

''I don't think I've ever seen you jealous before...''

''Pfft. I'm not jealous.''

Effortlessly, he flipped her over onto her back and peered down at her with a knowing smirk. ''No?''

''No.'' She refused to meet his gaze.

''Hey.'' He lifted the hand that wasn't supporting his weight and gently cupped the side of her face, forcing her to look at him. ''You know you have nothing to worry about, right?''

''I know, it's just... she's pretty, don't you think?''

''I guess.'' He shrugged. ''If you like that kind of thing... I'm more interested in feisty, Mexican chicks.''

The corners of Alexa's lips quirked up, her body relaxing underneath him. ''Is that so?''

''Yep.'' He confirmed.

''Good.'' She stated, hooking her leg around his and pushing; switching their positions so she was straddling his waist. ''Because... You. Are. Mine.''

Jon swallowed, his mouth suddenly going dry as she punctuated each word with a nip at his neck. The possessive side of Alexa was something he had only seen a few times, and it was always a huge turn on for him.

''You know, I didn't think it was possible for you to get any hotter, but the whole jealousy thing is really doing it for me right now.'' His voice was husky as his hands slid down to grab at her behind.

''Yeah?'' She dipped her head, trailing her tongue over his collar bone as she ground her hips against his, smirking at the low groan she elicited.

''Uh-huh...'' His eyes drifted downward to appreciate the sight of her naked breasts pushed up against his chest. ''...If you feel the need to mark your territory, feel free.''

When she made no movement, he reached up and slid his hand behind her head, pulling her closer to he could capture her lips; the woman letting out a small moan as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, biting on it teasingly.

Not letting him deepen the kiss, she quickly pulled away, leaning back on her knees as she smirked down at him. ''You know, I would _love_ to do that, but I really should get ready-''

She let out a loud squeal as he pounced on her; flipping their positions again so he was the one on top, pinning her arms above her head with a light grip as his lips crashed down on hers. He eventually released his grasp on her wrists and let them trail down her sides, cupping her ass and grinding himself against her.

''Jon.'' She panted, her hands coming up to to tangle in his hair.

He broke away from her momentarily, using a hand to part her thighs before shifting down the bed. He sent her a wolfish grin before suddenly burying his face in between her thighs.

''Fuck!''

She felt him smirk against her knowingly; the first flick of his tongue against her clit almost always sent her over the edge. After a few teasing licks, he deftly moved her legs over his shoulders before plunging his fingers into her warm, wet heat; earning himself a loud cry as she bucked her hips.

Jon continued his ministrations, knowing exactly the right spots to drive her crazy; Alexa's moans getting louder and more desperate as he brought her closer. Then, just as he was about to send her over the edge, he pulled back, drawing a desperate whine from her.

''Jon.'' She choked out. ''Please...''

Quickly freeing himself form the confines of his boxer shorts, he moved up her body, a husky chuckle escaping as her feet tried to press him closer. ''Patience, sweetheart.''

''Fuck you.''

''You first.''

With on hand braced beside her head and the other griping tightly onto her hip, he slammed his whole length into her. Her entire body jerked and his name tore from her lips in a harsh scream as her legs spasmed either side of him.

''Did you- did you just...''

Her cheeks turned pink as she replied. ''Uh-huh.''

''Fuck.'' Jon gazed down at her in wonder before leaning his forehead against hers, increasing the pace of his hips. ''You have any idea how hot that is?''

Alexa didn't answer, instead she just squeezed him tight with her legs around his back as his movements became more frantic. She bit down on the side of his neck and it only took a few more hard thrusts before he came apart, a low groan rumbling in his chest.

''You're so fucking beautiful.'' He dropped a light kiss on her nose before lifting himself up and rolling to lay beside her. ''I love you.''

She smiled. ''I love you too.''

* * *

''I don't know Lexie, are you sure this is a good idea?''

''Not really.''

Vickie's lips formed a tight line as her eyes met the other woman's uncertainly. ''I think you need to think this through prop-''

''Vick, it's all I've been doing for years.'' Alexa admitted softly. ''Just because I don't talk about it, doesn't mean it's not constantly on my mind.''

''I don't get it. You've always been so adamant that you want nothing to do with her, that you never want to see her again... what changed?''

''I... It's just something that I have to do.''

Her eyes drifted across the room and landed on the table where Jon, Joe and Colby were sat; the three men engrossed in conversation while they ate their lunch.

After the group had arrived at the arena for the Smackdown taping, they had picked up their scripts before making their way to catering. Spotting Vickie sitting alone in the corner, Alexa had taken advantage of the opportunity and made her plans known.

While the roster was in Toronto for Raw the following week, she was going to bite the bullet and finally pay her mother a visit. All she needed was the address, which she needed from the woman sitting in front of her.

''What does Jon think about this?'' Vickie asked, following her eye-line.

She sighed. ''It might come to next week and I'll be a chickenshit, change my mind and not even go. If I do it, I'll talk to him.''

The older woman shifted in her seat for the hundredth time. ''What if I don't want to give you the address.''

''Come on, Vickie!'' She cried, drawing a few looks from the people nearby. Lowering her voice, she quickly spoke again. ''Look, I _need _to do this, okay? I need some kind of... closure.''

''Lex...''

''Why are you so against me going to see her?'' Alexa stared at her with curiosity, it was obvious that she was hiding something. ''What aren't you telling me?''

''Nothing.'' She snapped, pointedly avoiding the other woman's gaze as she reached for her phone. ''I'll e-mail it over to you when I find it.''

''Vickie, what-''

''Look, I'm not going to try and talk you out of it because I know how stubborn you are, just like... but I think you're making a mistake and this is going to open up a whole new can of worms.''

* * *

**SMACKDOWN**

_''Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the COO of WWE; Triple H!''_

_Lillian's announcement was met with loud boos from the crowd but the man inside the ring kept a self-satisfied smirk on his face, matched by the one on his wife's lips beside him._

_Vickie Guerrero and Brad Maddox clapped enthusiastically either side of the power couple while Sierra, who was nonchalantly leaning against the turnbuckle, fought to keep a sneer off her face._

_The other three members of The Shield stood at the bottom of the ramp, guarding the ring while the rest of the locker room were unhappily gathered on the stage._

_''Welcome to Smackdown... before we get started, I'd just like to take a moment to inform everybody that, regretfully, as of this past Monday night, Cody Rhodes is no longer a WWE Superstar. I'd like to explain to you why, as Cody was fired for Just cause. Cody Rhodes was insubordinate and disrespectful to the position of COO of the WWE. The COO of the WWE, represents the WWE. So, in essence, as COO... I AM the WWE... Cody Rhodes was disrespectful and insubordinate to each and every one of you and-'' He turned to face the stage, addressing everyone standing there. ''-each and every one of you.'' He turned around, coming to a halt in front of the woman in the corner. ''Which is something that I absolutely will not stand for.''_

_Sierra visibly __tensed a little, but gave no other reaction to his thinly veiled threat; instead, she met his gaze steadily and offered him a small smirk._

_His face darkened and he turned to face the audience. ''I gave Cody the opportunity to fight for his job. I asked him to go to the ring and perform his job and he failed. In essence, I didn't fire Cody Rhodes. Cody Rhodes fired Cody Rhodes. And that pains me, that is hard for me to hear because I'm friends with Cody Rhodes.'' He looked between Vickie and Brad. ''You know how hard this job can be... I'm friends with Cody, I'm friends with Cody's dad, I'm friends with his brother. It's painful for me to have to do that but that is the burden I take as COO of the WWE. They are hard decisions that have to be made, and yes, sometimes when you make them, you come across as the bad guy. I get it. I'm willing to accept that responsibility, to do what is best for business.''_

_The camera cut to Sierra who rolled her eyes in the corner._

_''That being said, that is why we're here tonight. I'm here for all of you.'' He faced the stage. ''I want to create an open forum because I feel like there might be some misunderstanding of how business is being done, and I don't want anybody to have fear for their jobs. So, I want to have an open forum here. I want to open the microphone up to the WWE Superstars and I want you to understand, I want you to be able to ask any question of me. I want you to be able to make any statement with no fear whatsoever, at all, of any repercussions... Now, the floor is yours. Who's going to go first?''_

_A couple of people hesitantly started to talk amongst themselves, but nobody took a step towards the microphone._

_''Come on guys, somebody step up and say something. I know you've all got something to say. Let me hear it.'' He waited a few moments, but still nobody stepped up. ''I want you all to understand something, right now. I work, for all of you. And I want to work for all of you. But I can only work for each and every one of you if you open up to me. You have to open up to me, you have to tell me how you feel. And, if you do, I will work harder than any man on this planet for each and every one of you. I want the WWE Universe to grow. I want you all to grow. I want to grow. But we can only do it if we're honest with each other. Guys, somebody, be open. Tell me what you're thinking.''_

_''Ahem...'' Damien Sandow was the first to move over to the microphone, a smug smile on his face. ''I, for one, fully support the termination of Cody Rhodes. After all, Cody exemplifies everything that is bad for business. So, for that, Hunter, as our fearless leader... I commend you.''_

_''Thank you, Mr. Sandow...'' Triple H chuckled. ''Can I just say, this is not me looking for you guys to come out here and kiss my butt like that, okay? I want this to be open and honest. Please, somebody, just speak up. Come on, somebody has something to say...'' He trailed off, his eyes catching movement at the back of the group. ''Kofi. Come on.''_

_The man nodded before speaking. ''You mentioned honesty, Hunter. Let me be honest with you. Ever since you fired Cody Rhodes, the entire locker room has been living in fear and maybe it's me, but... I don't see how that's what's best for business.'' He paused as the crowd let out an approving cheer. ''Cody was out there, literally fighting for his life, and you took his livelihood away.''_

_''That's a fair point and I can understand how, from your point of view-''_

_''Hold on, hold on.'' Heath Slater, followed by the rest of 3MB interrupted, shoving Kofi out-of-the-way. ''Nobody cares about the answer to that question, alright? No one cares. You know, I got something I need to say... I am a little uncomfortable with our resident giant, that just stands around and does hardly anything and just watches everything go on. That's my problem. And, then again, I want to say thank you to you, just because I think your management style is great and you're doing a great job.''_

_''Thank you, Heath Slater, for emptying what was surely the entire content of your mind.'' He quipped, drawing smirks from those surrounding him. ''Does somebody else have a point, please?''_

_Rob Van Dam was the next brave enough to step forward, looking nonphased as he stared down at his boss. ''You know, Hunter, you're the one that brought me back to WWE a couple months ago. I was under the impression that things were better now. I got to tell you, this whole vibe that we're all feeling... not cool, dude.''_

_Triple H gave a wry laugh before responding. ''Dude, I just want to say, personally, I've been waiting since, probably, 2000, to have Rob Van Dam call me dude. Thank you... Rob, I just want to say to you that I still have the same faith in you I had a few months ago when I made that call to bring you back here. You are a true Superstar.'' He glanced around as an impassioned RVD chant broke out. ''That's right. Who else has something to say? Come on... Nobody?''_

_Sierra looked down with a bored expression, starting to examine her nails as the sound of silence filled the arena. _

_''Now that we've dealt with that, there's something else I'd like to discuss.'' The COO turned around, focusing his attention on the woman in the corner. ''Sierra.''_

_Her eyes snapped up at the sound of her name, immediately meeting the calculating gaze of the man in front of her. Accepting the microphone that a stage hand offered her, she pushing herself away from the corner and stepped towards The Game. _

_''Me?'' She questioned sceptically, arching a brow._

_''Last week, me and you had a little chat, did we not? I warned you what would happen if you continued to disrespect me. Then, lo and behold, on Backstage Fallout you're running your mouth again. What was it you said?''_

_Stephanie finally made her presence felt and stepped up beside her husband with a smirk. ''She said that she wasn't __**with **__The Authority and that she didn't know how you, Hunter, could promote what you've been doing lately as best for business.''_

_''That's right, thanks Steph.'' Triple H nodded, sending his wife a smile before turning back to the Diva. ''Do you have anything to say for yourself?''_

_''I...'' Sierra sighed, glancing around at the crowd who were cheering louding, anticipating the verbal show down. ''Do you even care what I have to say?''_

_''No, but that never seems to stop you. Tell us.''_

_Moving around him, she moved to the side of the ring facing the stage and gestured to her co-workers. ''Look at them... those men and women standing up there put their bodies on the line for you, night in, night out... and what do they get for it? Nothing but the fear of losing their jobs or taking a beating, simply for having their own opinon or saying something you don't like.'' Sierra turned around, facing the small group with a sneer. ''This- The Authority- is nothing more than a dictatorship... And you, Hunter... well, you put the 'dick' in 'dictatorship'.''_

_The crowd cheered in approval, an impromptu 'Dick' chant making it's way around the arena. The camera zoomed into the roster up on the stage; some were wearing small smirks of amusement while other's kept their gaze locked on the ground._

_Before Sierra knew what was happening she was laid out on the mat, courtesy of a stinging slap from the Billion Dollar Princess._

_''How dare you?'' She screeched angrily. ''Who do you think-''_

_The COO quickly moved to grab his wife as she made to attack again, giving the other woman the chance to scramble to her feet, her hand coming up to cup her burning cheek. She went to lunge towards Stephanie, only for a pair of strong arms to catch her around her waist; her furious eyes turning to meet the steely ones of Roman Reigns._

_The man earned himself a heavy chorus of boos as he hauled her back, preventing her from doing what everyone wanted to see; kick Stephanie McMahon's ass._

_''ENOUGH!'' Hunter bellowed, shoving his seething wife behind him. ''You guys up on the stage, I want you all to watch this very carefully... Sierra, I want you to listen and you listen good- it's okay Reigns, let her go.''_

_The powerhouse of The Shield did as he was told and released Sierra, the woman not even sparing him a glance as she stepped over to Triple H, face contorted in a scowl._

_''I'll be the first to admit, you made a hell of a call when you brought these three guys up from NXT. And it's because of this that I kind of want you to stick around, we could use someone with your savvy in The Authority... but if you can't fall in line, then there's no way this can work. Stephanie, though, came up with an idea that I think may just help you learn and respect how things are going to be around here...''_

_Her brow furrowed as a smirk spread across the man's lips, his eyes locked on something behind her. ''What-''_

_Sierra hadn't even finished turning around to see what had caught his eye when Roman charged towards her, giving her no time to react before she was taken down with a powerful._ _The crowd 'ooh'ed' as the woman was practically folded in half; her body doing a complete 180 in the air and landing harshly on her front._

_A guilty look fleetingly passed over Roman's face before it vanished and, his job done, he sharply exited the ring to re-join his Shield bretheren at the base of the ramp._

_Up on stage, the shock could be seen on the faces of those gathered; even those who didn't really care what had been going on. Some of the Divas watching with wide eyes and hands over their mouths while several of the Superstars looked angry. Dolph and Big Show in particular looked furious; both men disgusted that Triple H would order the powerhouse of The Shield to do that to one of their own, especially to a woman._

_The crowd jeered as Triple H stepped over to the woman's prone form, his arms folded over his chest as he looked down at her with a regretful shake of his head as Stephanie smirked behind him._

_''Does anybody have anything to say now?'' He looked up towards the stage with a cocked brow. ''Show, Dolph, you two don't look happy. Care to share?''_

_The pair shared a glance, the bigger man shaking his head before they returned their attention to the man in the ring; settling on levelling him with glares. _

_''Good.''_

_Triple H knelt down beside Sierra; the woman had shuffled over to the edge of the ring and was curled up in the feotal position, clutching at her stomach. _

_''Consider this a warning for you all. Fall in line or face the consequences.''_


	79. Chapter 79

**Sunday 8th September**

''Come on, stop being such a chickenshit...''

Depite her obvious reluctance, Vickie had remained true to her word and had e-mailed over the last known address she had for her mother, leaving Alexa to make the arrangements.

Instead of going to New York with Jon and the guys for their appearance, she had flown out to Toronto on the Friday, planning to make the most of her time there. Her old friend Jenna had met her at the airport, the the two women being reunited after what seemed like forever. They had slowly drifted apart after Alexa moved out of the place they shared, only exchanging the occasional phone call or e-mail. But as soon as they were together again, they managed to pick up exactly where they left off, like no time had passed at all.

After packing up all the stuff Alexa had left there when she moved to Florida and arranging for it to be shipped down to Florida, they used the rest of the time to catch up on each others lives and reminisce about old times. Jenna had even offered to go with her when she went to see her mother, but Alexa had declined, insisting it was something she had to do alone.

But, what she hadn't been expecting, was the flood of emotions that hit her as she pulled up outside and put the car in park. It wasn't really anything special, just your standard two story suburban house, but she did have to scoff at the picket fence.

_Of course _it had a picket fence.

Turning the engine off, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, trying to calm her nerves before she even thought about getting out of the car.

* * *

_''What are you doing?!'' Alexa cried, panic rising in her chest as she watched the woman dismantle the last piece of the ring that had been standing in their backyard._

_''What does it look like I'm doing?'' She snapped, not even sparing her a glance. ''Your Dad's gone. We don't need this anymore.''_

_''What? No, I-''_

_''Look, it's about time you grew up and stopped with this ridiculous wrestling fixation, okay?''_

_''But-'' _

_''No!'' Amanda screamed, throwing the screwdriver down before storming over to her daughter. ''I'm your Mother, what I say goes and you're NOT doing it anymore, you hear me? If he hadn't filled your head with all this crap...''_

_''It's not crap!'' She argued, her bottom lip quivering as she fought back tears. ''Dad says... Dad said I was good, like, really good... and I love it... I've already lost him, please don't take this away from me too.''_

_''I've made up my mind, Alex. It's done.''_

_''I hate you.'' Alexa hissed, her eyes burning with anger. _

_''Yeah?'' The older woman didn't even flinch at the harsh words. ''Tell me something I don't already know, kid. I bet you wish it had been me that had died instead of him, huh?''_

_''What? No, I-''_

_''It's fine. I get it...'' She stared into her daughter's eyes blankly for several moments before heaving out a sigh. ''I've been thinking and I've decided that you're going to go and live with Uncle Mando.''_

_''I.. What?'' She breathed, practically inaudibly._

_''You've never needed me. Never. It's always been you and him, against the world...'' Amanda swallowed, struggling to keep her composure. ''He loved you so much... more than I've ever been able to.''_

_Alexa couldn't stop a tear from leaving one of her eyes and streaming down her face. ''You want me to go?''_

_''I...'' Her eyes were pointed at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with her daughter. ''It's for the best.''_

* * *

She was jolted out of the not so pleasant memory by the sudden blasting of Fall Out Boy coming from her phone. Quickly pulling from her pocket, she found Jon's name flashing across the screen, pulling a soft smile from her lips.

''Hey.''

_''Hey yourself. You have a good time with Jane?''_

''Jenna.'' She corrected with a snort, shaking her head. ''And no, we had a great time actually. We packed up all my shit and it's getting shipped down to my place first thing tomorrow, I'll have to go through it all on our days off... How was the signing?''

_''Yeah, it was good. A lot of people asked about you.''_

''Yeah?''

_''Yep. Joe got told off by some kid for hurting you on Smackdown, you should've seen his face, it was hilarious. And some girl gave us a gift bag to give to you...''_

Alexa zoned out as he rambled on about some of the things the fans had given them, her gaze drifting back over to the house as her stomach fluttered nervously.

_''Babe?''_

''Sorry, what?''

_''I said our flight's due to get in at about midnight, are you still alright to come get us from the airport?''_

''Uh huh, sure.'' Alexa replied distractedly, her fingers idly fiddling with the zipper of her hoody.

_''What's going on, you're acting all weird... well, weirder than normal, anyways.''_

''Ha ha.'' She muttered drolly. ''Very funny.''

_''I try... so, what is it?''_

''Uh... well, I kind of decided I was going to visit my Mother.''

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds, which likely meant he understood how important this was. Gently, he responded. _''Your mother? The one who pretty much disowned you when you were a kid? That mother?''_

''That's the one.''

_''I thought you never wanted to see her again?''_

''I didn't. I don't... I just...'' She sighed. ''Do you think I'm making a mistake?''

_''Honestly? No. I think this is a long time coming. It just seems really sudden is all, you've never even mentioned it to me.''_

''I know, I'm sorry... This has been hanging over me for years and I just thought it was finally time. I should have done this a long time ago. But I didn't, and it's still an open wound for me. One way or another, I have to close it. We're moving in together soon and I wanted to start this new chapter in my life with a clean slate, you know?''

_''Reconciling with terrible parents is kind of my jam, but this is way different from what I went through... but I totally get it.''_

Nodding to herself, Alexa fell silent for a few moments before she took a sharp breath. ''Okay... I'm going to go do this before I bottle it... I love you.''

_''I love you too... and I want you to remember that even if this doesn't work out, you've got a shit ton of people who care about you, okay?''_

''I know... Bye.''

_''Bye.''_

* * *

The phone clicked off, and the dial tone filled Jon's ears; the man making his way back over to where Joe and Colby were waiting for their lunch to arrive.

Joe's brow furrowed with concern as soon as his friend approached, dropping down into the seat opposite with a frown. ''What's wrong?''

''I'm just worried about Lex, she's gone to visit her mom...''

The Samoan's eyes widened in genuine surprise as the man beside him almost choked on his drink, both of them well aware of the history there.

''That's kind of out of the blue... did you know she was going?''

''No.'' Jon shook his head, agitatedly bouncing his knee up and down as he ran a hand over his face. ''No, she never even mentioned it to me.''

''Lex will be fine, she's the strongest person I know.'' Colby reassured, a smile on his face.

''I know-''

''But you're more pissed that she didn't talk to you about it first?'' Joe asked knowingly.

''Yeah...'' He replied, eyes darting off to the side. ''Is that bad?''

''You guys are about to start your future together. Of course it's going to hurt you that she didn't share something like this with you.''

''That's what worries me. If she can keep that kind of important shit to herself, then what else isn't she telling me... I thought she was getting better at the whole trust thing.''

''I don't think it's about trust, dude.'' Joe interjected gently, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. ''And I don't think it's about her not wanting to discuss her past with you either, it's probably more about her not wanting to relive it herself.''

Jon sighed, silently agreeing with what his friends were saying.

While Alexa maintained a blasé attitude when she spoke her mother, deep down, he knew how much it affected her. She didn't like to talk about it so he had never actually asked her exactly what had happened, all he knew was what he'd heard on the podcast she did with Colt last year.

''Yeah, you're right... it'll be fine.''

* * *

Almost as soon as she hung up the phone, Alexa jumped out of the car before she could talk herself out of it. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she opened the fence and marched up to the front door, pausing just before she was about to make the fateful knock.

Maybe she _was _making a mistake... Maybe she was better off not knowing why...

She took took a few deep breaths, telling herself that is she didn't do this now then she'd never have the guts again. Spurred on by that thought, she stood up straight and knocked firmly on the door before the sounds of silence consumed her.

The sound of the door opening eventually reached her ears and her heart leapt into her throat as she looked up, expecting to find her Mother standing in front of her.

Instead, she was greeted with the sight of a smartly dressed, tall, brunette in his late 40's.

''Uh... hi.'' Alexa stammered awkwardly.

He smiled down at her politely. ''Can I help you?''

''Is... does Amanda still live here?''

''She's not in right now but she should be back any minute.'' He pulled the door open further. ''You're more than welcome to come in and wait?''

''Okay.'' Alexa eyed him warily as she stepped past him, walking cautiously into the foyer of the house. ''Thanks.''

The door clicked shit and he regarded her with a smile. ''Can I get you something to drink?''

''Uh, water would be great, thanks.''

''No problem.''

He headed off to the kitchen while Alexa moved into the living area which was off to the side. It was a lovely place, spacious and clean with comfortable looking furniture and interesting pieces of art on the walls. As she glanced around the room, her eyes landed on a set of photo frames that were displayed on the mantelpiece and she wandered over to get a closer look.

A lump formed in her throat when she found the unmistakable form of her mother staring back at her, looking just the same as she remembered, just slightly older. There were a photos of her and the man she had just met, obviously her husband, since one of them was taken on what appeared to be their wedding day. It was when she got to the last couple of frames that she paused; her heart dropping when she realized what she was looking at.

''Here you are.''

The sudden re-appearance of the man almost made her jump out of her skin, and she shot him a small smile as she accepted the glass of water. ''Thank you.''

''I'm sorry, I never introduced myself; I'm Simon, Amanda's husband.''

''Nice to meet you.'' Alexa forced out a smile, her eyes drifting back towards the mantelpiece. ''Are... uh, are those your children?''

Simon followed her gaze and nodded, picking up the frame and smiling down at it fondly. ''Sofia and Oliver... that was taken at their birthday party last year.''

''Twins?''

''Yeah.'' He laughed. ''They're quite the handful.''

She gave a half-hearted chuckle, unable to ignore the feeling of rejection that settled heavily in the pit of her stomach. There wasn't any trace of her existence to be found... this _was _a mistake.

Alexa couldn't stay there any longer and, after shakily shoving the glass into his hands, she backed away towards the foyer. ''I'm sorry, I've got to go.''

Simon furrowed his brow. ''I thought you wanted to-''

''Yeah, I changed my mind. I can't.''

Alexa didn't wait for a response as she all but sprinted out of the house and across the road to her car. She heard Simon calling after her, asking for her name, but she ignored him. It was only when she was safely in the car and halfway down the street that she finally let out a small sob.

* * *

After making her way to the hotel and checking in, Alexa spent the rest of the day in the room by herself, ignoring everyone who tried to contact her. She ordered room service and settled into the large bed, watching random crappy TV shows in an attempt to distract herself.

It didn't work.

Her mind kept drifting back to the house and the fact that her Mother had seemingly forgotten about her and, despite everything, it still hurt.

She only left the confines of the room when it was time to head to the airport; throwing one of Jon's hoodies on over her oversized Shield t-shirt. That, paired with her sweatpants and converse, made her look like a compete mess but she really didn't care.

It didn't take her very long to get to the airport and she spent twenty minutes waiting inside before Jon's form finally came into view. Ignoring the weird looks she was getting from passers by, Alexa threw herself at her boyfriend when he was close enough, nearly knocking the wind out of him as her arms wrapped around his neck.

''Someone missed me.''

She couldn't even come up with a witty retort, his scent flooding her senses as she buried her face into his neck. ''Mmm.''

Jon chuckled, his own arms looping around her waist to give her a tight squeeze before finally pulling her away, his eyes full of concern when he saw her face. Her beautiful violet eyes were bloodshot, a series of thin red veins creeping around her irises.

''Babe, don't take this the wrong way but you look like shit...''

She sighed, letting her feet drop back down onto the floor; she had purposely stopped off in one of the bathrooms on the way to the arrivals gate and made herself look as composed as possible, but it obviously hadn't worked as well as she thought.

''Where's Colby and Joe?''

''They lost Joe's bag so they're trying to sort that out, don't change the subject... what happened?''

''I didn't even see her.''

He cocked a brow, wondering why she had been crying when she hadn't even spoken to her mother. ''You didn't?''

''Her... her husband was there, he said she'd be back soon so he invited me in to wait. I was only in there a few minutes before I left, I couldn't do it.''

''You seemed pretty amped when I spoke to you earlier, what changed your mind?''

''Saw some photographs of her new family, there wasn't one of me anywhere.'' Alexa faltered only a second before plastering her face with what looked almost like a genuine smile. ''I figured if she's not giving me a second thought, why should I bother with her, you know?''

''Well, we're here for a couple of days, maybe after the Smackdown taping you could go back. I'll come with you.''

''Do you hear me telling you that you should go see your family when I know you don't want to? No. Just leave it, please.''

''Lex-''

''It's fine, honestly... I don't even know what I was thinking.''

He scoffed lightly. ''Yeah, you're not the only one... I've got to say Lex, I'm actually hurt you didn't want to talk to me about this.''

''I'm sorry.'' She frowned, only just realizing how he must be feeling and feeling even worse because of it. ''I didn't mean to... I'm just not very good at asking for help and I didn't want you to worry about me.''

''Hey.'' His hands cupped her face and tilted her head up, forcing her to look at him. ''That's what I'm here for, to help you. And I'm always going to worry about you... I don't worry at all when you step into that ring, but I do worry that one day you'll fall and break your neck because you're so damn clumsy. I worry way more than I should about you choking on a pizza crust because you inhale your food so fucking fast.. at least _this_ would have given me something real to worry about. I just want you to talk to me.''

Alexa was touched. Mildly offended, but mostly touched. ''I will, I promise.''

''We've got plenty of time tonight...''

''Okay.''


	80. Chapter 80

**Monday 9th September**

_''You can expect justice to be served, like it always is when The Shield shows up to town. We'll be dishing out punishment to all offenders. And, you know, a lot of ladies think that we are angry, violent, gruff men but the truth is we have a sweet and sensitive side.''_

_''Aww, do you?''_

_''We do, but you won't be seeing any of that tonight... at least, not until after the show.''_

Alexa's eyes lifted over the top of her laptop, cocking an eyebrow at her boyfriend as the interview carried on playing on the screen. ''Were you seriously flirting with her?''

_''What's with you guys always beating up on Daniel?''_

_''I mean, it's a good opportunity to beat up on a little, bearded midget.'' _

''It's okay, Lex, they were way more interested in Joe.'' Colby told her with a snort, glancing over at the man in question. ''What was it they tweeted? Still thinking about Roman Reigns and his rocking hard core body?''

''And his beautiful eyes.'' Jon drawled, a teasing glint in his eye.

''Oh, sorry, _and_ his beautiful eyes... can't forget those.''

''Fuck you guys.'' Joe huffed, flipping the bird towards them.

A happy smile lit up her face as the three men started bickering and she returned her attention to the screen in front of her, only half paying attention to what she was watching.

Despite Jon's insistence that they 'talk' last night, she had somehow managed to distract him enough that he forgot about it. She knew he wouldn't let her avoid the issue forever but she was content to put it off as long as possible, not really knowing how to explain to him exactly how she was feeling.

Noticing that the clip had ended, she closed up the laptop and glanced over towards the trio on the other side of the room, laughing when she found they had somehow managed to get in some sort of tussle.

''Seriously, it's like I have to look after a bunch of two-year olds.'' She groused, rolling off the bed and grabbing a towel and change of clothes from her bag. ''I'm going to take a quick shower, then we can head to the arena?''

''Want me to join you?'' Jon offered, wiggling his eyebrows.

Colby snorted loudly. ''I don't think she'll be getting very clean if you're there, dude.''

''Besides, she said quick.'' Joe added. ''They'll be in there forever.''

''I think you're severely over estimating his stamina.''

''Hey!'' Jon cried, throwing the Iowan a haughty look. ''I can go all night. Right, babe?''

She just shook her head in exasperation and made her way into the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her.

As soon as the lock clicked, Colby turned to Jon and spoke quietly. ''Hey, so, did you talk to her last night? How did things go with her mom?''

''Uh, we didn't really talk about it last night...''

''Why not?'' Joe questioned, furrowing his brow. ''You told us you were going to drill her, make her talk to you about what happened.''

Colby rolled his eyes at the tell-tale smirk on his friends face. ''Oh, I think he did drill her, just not in the way he said he was going to.''

''Oh, for fucks sake.'' Joe muttered, running a hand over his face. ''Can you not keep it in your pants long enough to have a grown-up conversation with your girlfriend?''

''Nope.'' Jon flashed him a shit-eating grin. ''Look, I'll talk to her soon... I don't really want to piss her off this week, we're heading down to Vegas on Wednesday to sign all the paperwork for the house and I don't want to risk her changing her mind.''

''They accepted the offer?''

''Yeah.'' He grinned. ''Pretty awesome, huh?''

''I'm really happy for you, bro.''

Colby nodded, giving him a slap on the back. ''Me too, dude.''

''When are you looking at moving down there?''

''As soon as we can. Lex has already started packing up her shit and I haven't really got much, so hopefully it won't take us too long.''

''Well, let us know when and we'll come help you.''

''Thanks, man.''

* * *

''... so, either next week or the week after, we'll have The Shield turn on Sierra completely.''

''Sounds great. Uh, do you mind if I ask what I'll be doing after this whole angle's done?''

Stephanie and Paul shared a look, the former smirking as she turned back to the younger woman. ''How would you feel about potentially having a match against me at Wrestlemania?''

Alexa's jaw dropped and her eyes darted between the pair in front of her. ''Seriously?''

''Seriously.''

''As you know, we keep a close eye on social media and least week after the show 'SierraVsSteph' was trending Worldwide.'' Paul informed her. ''Obviously, it all depends on how the next couple of months go, but we think this'll be a huge draw.''

''That's... that's awesome.'' She finally gushed. ''I mean, it's been such a long time since you last had a match... I'm really honoured that you want to have it with me.''

''I couldn't think of anyone better.'' Stephanie told her with a smile. ''Aside from April, you're probably the only woman that can stand against me on the mic and we all know the fans adore you... it's going to be great.''

''I can't wait.''

* * *

**RAW **

_''Man, every time I come out here you guys remind me why this is home.''_

_The Toronto crowd gave another huge cheer for Edge as he glanced around the sea of faces again._

_''And it has been far too long since I've been able to say this, but welcome to the Cutting Edge! You know, to be perfectly honest, the reason I'm here tonight is because I was requested by the new COO of the WWE-'' He was cut off by boos. ''-Triple H, to come out here tonight because it would be good for business. He thought it would be good if I came out here and had a reunion... and not a reunion with my best friend, Christian. No. No, you guys wouldn't want to see Edge and Christian. No, he thought it would be a good idea for me to come out and have a reunion with a different partner. My partner in Rated RKO, and the WWE Champion, Randy Orton.''_

_He paused as more boos flooded the arena._

_''But, see, here's where it gets good. I've known Randy a long time, and the guy's got nothing interesting to say. It's like watching paint dry, I'm not going to do it. You see, I don't have a problem with Randy cashing in the Money in the Bank, hell, I wrote the blueprint on the Money in the Bank. My problem with Randy is the fact that he's a hand-picked puppet now. He's just Triple H's lackey. He needs The Shield to fight his battles for him, so here's what I've decided... Randy Orton is not going to be the guest on the Cutting Edge tonight...''_

_YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!_

_Edge smirked as the 'Yes' chant filled the arena. ''I'm going to have a different guest that's best for business, say 'YES' if you agree with me. That guest is Daniel Bryan!''_

_Flight of the Valkyries hit and the fans went wild, cheering raucously as the number one contender for the WWE Championship made his way down to the ring. The two men shook hands as footage from last week of the Big Show knocking out Daniel Bryan re-played on the titantron. _

_A huge 'DANIEL BRYAN' chant started up, the man in question grinning inside the ring as he soaked it all in._

_''Daniel, you've been through a lot recently, so I appreciate you coming out here.''_

_''Yeah, I have been through a lot, but it helps when you have so many people out here chanting your name.'' He gestured to the crowd, laughing as another 'YES' chant sounded. ''But, yeah, last week Triple H said if I didn't give up my title opportunity, I was going to get hurt. And, I have been. Like last week, when Randy Orton attacked me from behind and hit me with his championship belt. But, here's the thing they don't understand; there is satisfaction in the struggle. Because I know, no matter how many times Randy Orton attacks me from behind, no matter how many times The Shield triple-powerbombs me, no matter how many knock out punches I eat from giants... and no matter how many times Triple H tries to hold me down... I. Will. Beat. Randy. Orton. I will regain the title! And I will be the WWE Champion! YES!''_

_''You see, that's why I like you!'' Edge told him, pointing into the crowd. ''That's why they love you. Because you look at an obstacle as an inspiration. You don't- you wrestled in armouries, you wrestled in barns, just like me. I see a little bit of me in you. We love this! We didn't choose something else first and then come here. This is what we wanted to do since we were kids. So, I see you Daniel Bryan, and I'm like, this guy; the people have chosen him. He's their guy. So you need to do this. I don't know if you can beat Randy Orton, I really don't. But you deserve a fair shot in doing it. So, here's the thing Daniel, do you think you can beat Randy Orton?''_

_Daniel smirked, rubbing at his beard as he pondered the question before speaking firmly. ''YES!''_

_''Do you think you can shove it in the man's face and become the WWE Champion?''_

_''YES!''_

_''Can you show that you're the face of the WWE?''_

_Before he could reply, Randy Orton's theme boomed through the speakers, the audience jeering as the man made his way out onto the stage, closely followed by Sierra who was diligently carrying his WWE Championship._

_''What a shame it is Edge, that when you decide to come back from time to time, the only place that gives a crap about you is a place like Canada. And what a shame Edge, that your body failed you at such a young age.''_

_The two men in the ring looked as unimpressed as the Canadian crowd, who started booing even louder. A 'Randy Sucks' chant soon rising up through the boos, much to the man's disdain._

_''You know what's a shame, Randy? It's a shame that you're supposed to be the face of the WWE, but you act like an entirely different body part. It's a shame that the Orton's always have the same physical problems. Your daddy, Cowboy Bob Orton, he ran around with that cast for years, and I may have problems with my spine, but at least I have one.''_

_Sierra's loud snort of laughter was cut off by a sharp glare from Randy, the woman ducking her head to hide her smirk as Edge continued._

_''Randy, you have become Triple H's puppet. I mean, here's a guy, I mean, he has a great mind for the business, don't get me wrong, but when it comes to picking talent he just flat out sucks. This is a guy who doesn't think Daniel Bryan can-''_

_**'BEHOLD THE KING. THE KING OF KINGS'**_

_The COO stepped out onto the stage, coming to a halt beside Sierra as his music faded._

_''I thought I'd give you the opportunity, since you seem to have something to say, to say it to my face.''_

_''I'll say it to your face.'' Edge confirmed. ''Because, here's the beautiful part about this, I don't have to bite my tongue like everyone else in the locker room. I'm not an employee here. So I'll tell you what I think about you, I think you don't know a damn about picking talent. You didn't think that I could make it. You didn't think Chris Jericho could make it. You were running around backstage talking about this Vanilla Ice wannabe called John Cena, said he couldn't make it. And now, you say that Daniel Bryan can't make it. I know that your nose is huge, but sometimes you have to look past it.''_

_Sierra glanced at the man beside her to gouge his reaction, biting her lip to hide a smile as she shifted the heavy title belt in her arms._

_Triple H shook his head, a small smirk toying at his lips as he raised the microphone. ''First of all, let me say, it's great to see you tonight. It's great to see you, because it's what's best for business. I was able to secure quite a large sum to have you come here tonight to promote the season premeire of your show, Haven. Which, by the way, airs on Sci-Fi at ten o'clock Eastern, right after Smackdown. And now that the promotional consideration is out of the way, please, allow me to retort... It seems that you question my ability to judge talent and while I may have gotten a few wrong over the years, I'll admit, I'm right quite a bit too. I'll give you that I didn't think Jericho would amount to much, and he proved me wrong. And I certainly was wrong about John Cena. Daniel Bryan, well, time will tell whether I'm right or not. But there was one guy, I WAS right about. Oh, yeah, there was definitely one guy where I was right when I said he would be a failure. That's you, Edge. Now, we can come out here and we can pretend all we want that because we're in Canada that you're a big star, and a legend in this business. But the reality of it is, the little experiment called the Rated R Superstar, was an abject failure. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you never drew a dime, buddy. Now, the thing is, when I say those things, all the person really has to do is prove me wrong. Which is what Jericho did. It's what Cena did. And now I'm going to give Daniel Bryan the opportunity to prove me wrong. I'm going to give him that opportunity right here tonight, when he gets into that ring and goes one-on-one with the US Champion, Dean Ambrose. And now, since Dean Ambrose is going to have The Shield in his corner, I'm going to give Daniel Bryan someone in his corner... No, no, no, don't get excited, everyone knows Edge's ability to fight like a man has long passed.. I'm going to give Daniel Bryan the World's largest athlete, the Big Show.''_

_The crowd voiced their disapproval as Randy leaned over to whisper something into his boss' ear._

_''Good idea... You'll also have Sierra in your corner, cheering you on. It'll be kind of like Beauty and the Beast... you got a problem with that?'' He asked, turning towards the woman in question._

_Sierra shook her head no, avoiding his eyes and keeping her gaze locked on the ring._

_''Good.'' He nodded smugly. ''Here's the thing guys, it would be so much easier if everyone would just learn to get along with me, just like Sierra here. I'm not really a bad guy. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a dictator.''_

_The man trailed off, a raucous chant of 'ASSHOLE' telling him exactly what the WWE Universe thought of him._

_''Hunter, I didn't have to marry into my success, I earned this Hall of Fame ring... and, to steal a line from Sierra; you're not a dictator, you're just a dick.''_

_''It's easy to cross a line, when you've got a withered up stack of dimes for a neck, with multiple surgeries and you know nobody can come down there and touch you. But you know, the thing is, if I can't hurt you, well, I don't know. Maybe I can hurt the ones you love...''_

_Seconds later, The Shield appeared on the stage, dragging a half-conscious Christian with them, before dumping him on the ramp. Heavy boos rained down on the three men as they headed backstage, closely followed by Triple H. Sierra watched, her face full of concern, as Edge ran to check on his childhood friend, calling for some help, only moving when Randy snatched his belt from her arms and gave her a shove towards the back of the stage._

* * *

_After the break, Edge angrily stormed into The Authority's dressing room, giving Triple H a piece of his mind over what had just happened; the COO just smirking and threatening to have The Shield remove him by force if he didn't leave by choice._

_''You can't blame Edge for acting the way he did.'' Michael Cole empathized. ''His best friend was beaten up by The Shield-''_

_''He had nothing to do with it!'' King agreed._

_''You can't blame Edge? You can't blame Triple H!'' JBL cried. ''Edge was meant to have Randy Orton as his guest but he goes rogue, he should get thrown out!''_

_Up on the titantron, an irate Edge was shown stomping through the backstage area, presumably heading for the exit._

_''Well, he's leaving.'' Michael pointed out. ''Just like he was...''_

_The man trailed off as the crowd let out a huge roar, a mix of cheers and boos as Edge turned the corner and walked straight into Sierra; the woman's eyes widening and a guilty expression crossing her face. Her mouth opened but before she could speak, the Canadian cut her off._

_''What the hell has happened to you, Si? How could you just stand out there, knowing what they were doing to Christian, he's your friend!''_

_''I-''_

_''You know, when I watched last week I thought, yes! Finally, she's re-discovered her backbone and then I saw them sick Reign's on you and I got so mad, but I was also relieved, because I knew there was no way you'd let that go. But here you are. Still with them.''_

_''What happened last week... it won't happen again.'' _

_Edge scoffed loudly. ''What, until the next time you dare to have an opinion that they disagree with?''_

_Sierra blinked, her jaw setting hard at his words, not wanting to admit that he was probably right. ''It won't.'' _

_''Why are you still with them?''_

_''They're my friends.'' _

_''If they were your friends, they would have listened to you when you warned them not to get involved with The Authority. And if Reigns was your friend then he sure as hell wouldn't have hurt you like he did.''_

_''He didn't have a choice!'' She hissed, jabbing a finger into his chest. ''You've speared me tons of times, we're still friends.''_

_''Are we? Because right now, you're not the woman I though I knew.''_

_She let out a heavy sigh. ''That's not fair.''_

_''No, what's not fair is what's been going on here since Summerslam, and you know it.''_

_''I... I don't know what to do anymore...'' Sierra admitted, her head bowing in resignation._

_''Hey, look at me.'' He reached forward, his hands coming up to rest on her shoulders. ''You remember when we first met? You hadn't been with the company long and you'd already somehow managed to get on the bad side of Evolution.''_

_''Not the best idea I'd ever had.'' She mumbled, drawing a chuckle from the blonde._

_''Even after you found out firsthand what a vindictive, sadistic piece of work Hunter was, you still wanted to do everything you could to take Evolution down. Nobody could talk you out of it. I asked you why, do you remember what you told me?''_

_''I think I might have said something about having nothing better to do.''_

_Edge chuckled again, shaking his head. ''No you said-''_

_''It doesn't matter what I said.'' She interjected. ''Things were different back then... Hunter's my boss now...''_

_''So? Si, you literally went up against Vince, when you first brought The Shield up to the main roster... now you're scared of The Authority?''_

_Her face contorted into a scowl and she shrugged his hands off her. ''I'm NOT scared.''_

_''Pfft, seems to me like Randy's not the only spineless one around here... Look, I'm not saying you have to wage war on them or anything, I'm just-''_

_''You're just what?''_

_Edge's eyes lifted, finding the other three members of The Shield appearing behind Sierra; Dean slinging an arm over her shoulder with a smirk as the Canadian took a step back._

_''I'm just leaving.'' He replied, sparing the trio a glare before turning and walking away. He was halfway down the corridor before he paused and turned to meet Sierra's eyes once more. ''Remember, __Desmond Tutu once said that if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor...''_

* * *

_**That slap you gave Randy at the end of the show looked BRUTAL.**_

_I know, I couldn't help myself. I've been waiting a long time to do that._

Alexa let out a small chuckle as she replied to the text message from April, the events of the end of the show still fresh in her mind. After the main event, Randy had made his way down to the ring to attack Bryan; the man had gotten up in her face when she refused to fetch him a steel chair from ringside. This had earned him a hard slap from the woman before she stormed backstage.

_**Haha, well, good job! **_

_Speaking of good jobs, you were awesome on commentary. Especially loved you putting Lawler in his place :D_

_**Not as much as I loved doing it, I bet!**_

Turning towards the bathroom door, her ears picked up the sound of the still-running shower and she rolled her eyes; Jon _always _took forever in there, it drove her crazy. After swapping a few more texts with April over their mutual loating of Jerry 'The King' Lawler, she climbed into bed, wrapping herself up in the duvet while she waited for he boyfriend to finish.

* * *

Jon finally emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, laughing when his eyes fell on the woman in the bed; she had cocooned herself so tightly in the duvet all he could see was a dark tuft of hair at the top.

''Lex, you awake?''

''Hmm.''

He wandered over as she groggily tried to manouvere herself into a sitting position, the man gently pushing her back down as he perched on the side of the bed.

''Go back to sleep.''

''But you wanted to talk.'' She said softly, her eyelids drooping as she spoke.

''It'll wait.'' Perching on the edge of the bed, he softly stroked her hair, making her smile and lean into his touch with contentment.

''Love you.'' She murmured.

He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on her temple. ''Love you too, sweetheart.''

* * *

A/N - Sorry for the long wait for an update. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to find any motivation to write this story. You know what helps with that though... REVIEWS :)


	81. Chapter 81 - AUTHORS NOTE

**A/N**

**Sorry to get your hopes up and make you think I was adding a new chapter, but I had to say something. I know a couple of people have PM'd me asking when I'll be updating and I said I was in the process of writing the next chapter.**

**Truth is, I'm stuck.**

**I've got it all worked out but I've got a lot going on and I just cant't find the inspiration to write at the moment.**

**I'm hoping it won't be too long until my muse comes back and I hope you lovely people can stick with me until then.**

**Peace **

**3**


	82. Chapter 82

**Wednesday 11th September**

''This feels _super_ weird.''

''Good weird, or bad weird?''

''Good weird.''

''Good.'' Jon tightened his arm around her. ''Because it's too late to back out now, sweetheart.''

After the Smackdown taping Tuesday night, while the rest of the roster headed straight to the airport, Alexa and Jon had gone back to the hotel, their flight out not booked until Wednesday morning. Adam and Jason had joined them and, after dropping off their gear in their hotel rooms, the quartet had met back up in the hotel bar for a few drinks.

They had arrived in their new home state just after midday, making a beeline for the real estate place and, after signing all the paperwork, they were finally given the keys to their new place. Several hours later found them lounging in the living room, curled up on the brand new sofa that had been delivered a few days earlier; their real estate agent having kindly signed for it and arranged to have it set up inside.

Alexa shifted, resting her head in the crook of his neck as her eyes flicked around the bare room. A content smile curled at her lips, it was all theirs.

A long, comfortable silence passed between the couple before her soft voice broke eventually broke it.

''Would you have really gone with me to see my Mom?''

''Of course.''

If he was surprised by her sudden desire to talk then he didn't show it, he just kept his arms wrapped around her as she slowly launched into the tale of her childhood. She told him all about growing up, how much she loved her father and how close they were. As she went on, eventually getting to the day her father died and then what happened the day her Mother had told her she way sending her away, he found himself falling for her all over again, as corny as that sounded.

Having had a pretty shitty childhood himself, he knew all to well the lasting effect it could have on a person, but add that on top of everything else she had been through in the last couple of years... for her to still be as strong as she was and have such a thirst for life, it was pretty amazing.

''... So yeah, that's me...''

Alexa awkwardly trailed off, feeling more exposed now that her life story was pretty much out in the open, but somehow feeling better for it.

Jon's arms tightened around her and he leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her head before resting his cheek against it. ''I've said this before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, but you're amazing.''

She snorted. ''Yeah, okay...''

''Hey, look at me.'' He lifted his head and didn't continued until her body had shifted and she was staring up at him, her eyes shining with un-shed tears. ''You are. I mean it. You went through all that shit and came out the other side of it pretty much unscathed.''

She cocked a brow. ''You mean, not counting the trust issues, the abandonment issues or the general detachment from people in general?''

He chuckled, despite himself. ''The first two, yeah, I agree with, but in all honestly, I'd be more worried if you didn't have them after everything. But I don't think you're detached from people at all. I mean, I think you put up walls to stop people getting _too_ close, you know? But even then, that hasn't really worked out, has it?''

''What do you mean?''

''I mean, you've got a shit ton of people that care about you, sweetheart.''

Alexa pondered this for a moment, realizing he was right. Despite her... reluctance to let people in, she had so many amazing friends in her life, she hadn't really appreciated that before. A small smile graced her lips. ''... I'm pretty lucky, huh?''

''You are.'' He murmured, taking a moment to study her face, running a finger down her cheek softly. ''The next time we're in Canada, you should go back, try again... I'll come with you.''

She nodded slowly, knowing that she had to do this. And, if it didn't work out, then she still had her amazing boyfriend and friends around her, nothing would change that. ''Alright.''

''Yeah?''

''Yeah.''

* * *

**Monday 16th September**

''Hey, so I hear they're breaking you guys up tonight.''

Alexa met Nick's eyes with a small smile as he approached, the man having just finished going through his match with Jon for the show that night. ''Yeah, it sucks but, you know, we had a pretty good run...''

''They're definitely be losing the sexiest part of The Shield, that's for sure.''

Laughing, she gave him a playful swat to the arm, her eyes moving towards the ring where Curtis 'Fandango' Hussey and Ron 'R-Trith' Killings were running through their spots. Nick followed her gaze as he took a swig from his bottle of water, eventually returning his eye to her.

''Any idea what they're planning for you after?''

''Uh, kind of... I don't think I'm allowed to say anything yet though.''

''Come on!'' The man threw his hands up with a laugh. ''You can't say that and then not tell me!''

''Well, nothing's set in stone, but if everything goes to plan then they're going to be building up to a Sierra/Stephanie match at 'Mania.''

''No way?!'' He exclaimed, eyes widening. ''That's fucking awesome.''

She grinned. ''I know, right?''

''Oh man, April's going to be _beyond_ jealous...''

Alexa winced, glancing across the ring to the small brunette who was engaged in what looked like a playful debate with Phil and Kofi. ''I know, she's legit going to want to kill me.''

''Pretty much.'' Nick laughed, nodding. ''But it'll be cool, she'll get over it.''

''Yeah, sh-''

''Lex!''

She spun around, finding that the guys had finished in the ring; Jon, Joe, Colby, Stephanie, Virgil 'Dust Rhodes' Runnels, Paul 'Big Show' Wight had replaced them meaning it was time for her to get in there and go through her spots for the night.

''Catch you later, Nicky.''

* * *

**RAW**

_''Where the hell were you?''_

_Sierra glanced up from the paperwork she was reading, meeting the irate gaze of Dean Ambrose as the other two members of The Shield hovered behind him._

_''What?''_

_''My match against Ziggler, where were you?!'' The United States Champion fumed, running his hand through his hair in agitation._

_Sierra __scowled indignantly, her brow furrowing__. ''I seem to recall you telling me you didn't need me out there, that you could handle Ziggler by yourself, just like you did last night.''_

_''I don't care what I said, you should have been out there! Now he's got a pinfall victory over me, how does that make me look, huh?''_

_The woman met his eyes with a defiant look. ''It makes you look like an idiot whose arrogance cost him a match tonight. Maybe next time you won't take an opponent so lightly.''_

_He took a step towards her, his eyes burning in anger. ''Yeah, well maybe if you did your goddamn job as our manager, we wouldn't have this problem!''_

_''Excuse me?'' She hissed, taking a step forward herself so they were almost toe-to-toe. ''Let's get one thing clear right now... I am NOT your manager.''_

_''Then what exactly are you? Huh? What good are you to us, because-''_

_''Hey! Hey! Hey!'' Seth finally interjected, pulling Dean back and stepping between them. ''Enough of this, alright? Go cool off, we've got a meeting with the boss soon. Ro, go with him.''_

_Sierra's eyes followed Dean as he stomped down the hallway, the Samoan powerhouse trudging along silently behind him to make sure he didn't get himself into any trouble. When they were out of sight, her gaze finally returned to the man in front of her._

_''I want you to be honest with me.'' He began, tilting__ his head to the side and studying her calculatingly. ''Are you still with us?''_

_''I'm here, aren't I?''_

_''Ever since we started working for The Authority, you don't seem as invested-''_

_''It's not that I'm not invested, it's that I don't...'' She sighed. ''Some of the things we've been doing recently, they're not right...''_

_''It's what's best for business.''_

_''It isn't. What it is, is that Triple H has thrown out his sledge hammer and found himself a brand new set of tools.''_

_Seth's frown deepened. ''You're really not going to change your mind on this, are you?''_

_''No.''_

_He took a step back, standing at his full height as he met her eyes. ''Look, just... just come with us for this meeting or whatever it is, and then after we call all sit down and try to figure this out, alright?''_

* * *

_**Style and grace, I'm never gonna be done, lean on in. **_

_**Now, welcome to the Queendom.**_

_A stoic-faced Sierra trailed along behind Stephanie McMahon as she made her entrance; the latter clapping at the impassioned speech Dusty Rhodes had just made on the behalf of his son. The crowd weren't shy in showing their distaste, jeering heavily as they made their way down to join the Hall of Famer in the ring._

_Stephanie shook the older man's hand with a smile as Sierra leaned against the corner, crossing her arms over her chest and watching on as her boss proceeded to try and make the legend choose between his two sons. Her thinly veiled interest quickly turned into sympathy for the man, who was clearly feeling every word Stephanie said about his family._

_Dusty finally reached his limit and refused to listen to any more of the manipulative words and got right in her face, bellowing; ''Stephanie, you can go straight to HELL!'' before stalking past her and intending to exit the ring._

_The crowd let out a huge roar of approval and even Sierra couldn't help but let a small smile curl at her lips. _

_Stephanie just rolled her eyes and lifted the microphone. ''Well, I'm sorry you feel that way.'' _

_**SIERRA. HOTEL. INDIA. LIMA. DELTA. SHIELD.**_

_Boos filled the arena as Dusty spun around in a panic, his accusatory gaze landing on Sierra who just shook her head at him, her own eyes wide with shock. _

_''Oh no.'' Michael Cole muttered from ringside. _

_''Get out of there, Dusty.'' JBL echoed, watching as the three men surrounded the ring. ''This isn't right at all.''_

_Seth, Roman and Dean each hopped up onto different sides of the ring apron, eyeing Dusty like a predator would their prey. Sierra moved to stand beside the other woman, her mouth moving rapidly. Stephanie just shoved her away, moving towards Dusty and holding her hand up to halt the three men from entering. _

_''Hang on a second, hang on a second... this hardly seems fair. I've got somebody who's been waiting in the back who can maybe even things out... oh, Big Show, would you mind coming out here please?''_

_The man's music hit and Sierra narrowed her eyes at the other woman, knowing she was planning something, before walking over to where Seth was standing._

_''What do you think they're talking about?'' King wondered as the giant made his way down to the ring._

_''It looks like she's trying to talk some sense into him.'' Michael replied, his eyes on the two members of The Shield who appeared to be having a heated discussion._

_''Don't be ridiculous, they're probably just talking strategy.'' JBL corrected. _

_''Allow me to shed a little light on this situation right here.'' Stephanie began, looking over at a confused Big Show before back towards Dusty. ''Since you couldn't make a decision about which one of your sons would get a job here... then you're going to have another choice. Would you prefer to be dismembered by The Shield? Or knocked out, by the Big Show? Your choice.''_

_Big Show pleaded with Stephanie not to do this as Sierra glared at her, disgust for the other woman clear in her eyes. _

_''I thought she got the Big Show out here to help the Dream.'' King said. ''Not... not for this!''_

_Dusty just shook his head at her._

_''Oh, you're not going to make a choice, again. You're just, you're indecisive. Well, I'll tell you what, I'll make it for you... Big Show, knock him out!'' _

_The giant shook his head, refusing to comply as a roaring NO chant started to echo through the arena._

_''Fine.'' Stephanie spat. ''Shield, get him!''_

_Big Show stepped forward, intercepting Seth and Dean as they entered. ''DON'T TOUCH HIM!''_

_Movement on the other side of the ring caught Sierra's eye and she glanced over to find Roman heading into the timekeeper's area to grab some steel chairs. Before anyone could react, she darted forward, grabbing the first chair that he slid underneath the ropes and kicking the other one away before Seth could reach it._

_The crowd cheered excitedly as she spun around, swinging the chair threateningly towards Dean. He managed to duck through the ropes before she could connect, leaving Seth to fend for himself. She turned just as he made a move to grab her from behind and jabbed the chair into his ribs, sending him sprawling to the mat in agony._

_''Oh my God!'' King shrieked. ''Sierra's turned on them, finally!''_

_''This has been brewing for weeks!''_

_JBL shook his head. ''I think this is a decision she'll live to regret...''_

_''What the HELL do you think you're doing?!'' Stephanie screamed, her eyes bulging with anger._

_Sierra threw the chair to the mat beside Seth before moving up to Dusty and holding out her hand for the microphone. He passed it over with a small smile of gratitude and she turned towards Stephanie with a sneer. _

_''Me? What am I doing? You should be standing in front of a mirror and asking yourself that question, Stephanie!'' She jerked her thumb towards Dusty angrily. ''How dare you even think about doing something so heinous, he's almost seventy years old! What is wrong with YOU?''_

_''Who the hell do you think you are?!'' Stephanie darted forward, getting right in the younger woman's face. ''Huh?''_

_Sierra didn't waver as she stared into the steely blue eyes of the Billon Dollar Princess. ''I'm done sitting back and watching you assholes do what 'is best for business'. You want to act like a bitch, Steph, then you better get ready for me to make you mine.''_

_Stephanie's face twisted in fury and her arm shot out but Sierra, expecting this, easily managed to catch it before her palm made contact with her face._

_She scoffed. ''So predictable. I guess it's true, you can't teach an old dog new tricks.'' _

_Sierra dropped the microphone and made to lunge toward Stephanie but a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist, hauling her away. She screamed as she felt herself lifted, tilting her head to find Roman had been the one to pull her away._

_''Dusty, Show... I suggest you get out of my ring and leave before I change my mind.'' _

_The two men looked over at the woman being restrained by the Samoan, before sharing a glance. _

_''Now!'' _

_Big Show helped Dusty out of the ring before turning around and taking a hesitant step forward, his eyes finding Sierra's. The woman shook her head at him, silently warning him not to get involved and he nodded, shooting her one final apologetic look before slowly exiting the ring._

_Roman kept Sierra restrained as Stephanie approached her, spitting into the microphone. ''You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this... I knew you were going to be trouble from the get go, but my husband insisted we had to give you a chance... The only reason we kept you around for so long was because The Shield was a unit. A team. Well, not anymore... I was wrong in thinking that the lesson we taught you a few weeks ago would be enough to keep you in line but it doesn't matter anymore. Seth, Roman and Dean have finally come to the realization that they are much better off without you.''_

_Her bold statement was punctuated as an irate Seth and a smug looking Dean flanked her side; the former wincing as he clutched his ribs._

_''Not so high and mighty now, are you?'' A look of pure venom appeared on Stephanie's face as she roughly grabbed the other woman's chin. ''Pathet-''_

_The crowd cheered as Sierra threw her head forward, hitting her boss in the face and effectively cutting her off. The woman ungracefully dropped to the mat, clutching at her nose in shock as Sierra thrashed around in her captors arms. The two men quickly helped their boss up as Roman managed to gain control of Sierra; the microphone falling from Stephanie's hand as she pulled back and slapped the other woman across the face with all of her might._

_The 'smack' as her hand hit Sierra's cheek seemed to echo through the arena, her head snapping sharply to the side as the crowd let out an 'ooh' of sympathy. But Stephanie wasn't finished; she brought her hand back to nail the other side of her face with a backhand slap just as powerful as the first._

_Stephanie's expression of sheer hatred morphed into a self-satisfied smile before she started barking out orders to the three men inside the ring._

_''Oh my...'' King muttered, his wince of pain somehow being convayed through his words. ''I would not like to be Sierra right now.''_

_Inside the ring, Sierra had no time to dwell on the stinging in her cheek as Roman handed her off to Seth, the man's strong arm encircled her waist. The Samoan moved around in front of her and the crowd let out a simultanious gasp, sensing what was coming._

_Even Michael Cole seemed to understand what was about to take place. ''They're not going to do this... Are they?''_

_As the boos rose, louder than before, Sierra lashed out with her foot and managed to catch Roman right in the gut, sending him stumbling back slightly. Stephanie screeched and Dean stepped forward to help Seth keep her under control, the man leering at his former partner, seemingly revelling in the chaos._

_''DO IT! NOW!''_

_The microphone caught the bosses order and Roman slowly stepped forward, his boss watching on with glee as Dean and Seth both wrapped an arm around the woman's waist. The pair were more than strong enough to comensate for her struggling, easily hoisting her up onto the big man's shoulders._

_Suddenly finding herself six feet in the air, Sierra's eyes widened in fear. Roman's fingers were digging sharply into her thighs as she was lifted higher; Seth and Dean each helping by taking some of her weight either side of him. Before she could even hope to do anything, she was brought down to the mat with a hard power-bomb._

_A stunned silence fell over the crowd._

_''Oh my God.'' King muttered softly._

_JBL let out a sharp exhale. ''I can't believe they actually...''_

_The Shield stared down at her motionless form for several moments before they parted, allowing Stephanie to take their place and admire their handiwork. She crouched down, looming over the unconscious woman with a sick smile on her lips._

* * *

''Think she's alright?''

''Dude, she's fine.''

Joe frowned, looking anxiously back towards the moniter which had just shown a replay of what had just taken place, the image quickly being replaced by 'Sierra' getting medical attention out in the ring. ''I don't know, watching it back, it looked kind of rough...''

Colby and Jon shared a look before the latter gave him a firm pat on the back. ''Lex is fine.''

''Yeah.'' The Iowan piped up. ''She's just super great at selling, that's all.''

* * *

Alexa had to suffer through almost fifteen minutes of playing dead for the crowd while the 'doctors' tended to her, putting on a neck brace and strapping her to a back board before she finally made it backstage.

Almost as soon as she was brought through the curtain, Joe appeared at her side and she was slightly taken aback by the level of concern in his eyes.

''You okay?''

Shooting him a reassuring smile, she nodded. ''I'm fine, Fabio. It was actually kind of fun.''

The men who had wheeled her to the back quickly began undoing all the straps and as soon as her arms were loose, she reached up to yank the brace from her neck. It wasn't a surprise that she wasn't overly fond of the things, given her history with them. As soon as she was completely free from the confines, she sat up and accepted Joe's hand as she hopped off the gurney.

''What's wrong?'' Joe asked, not missing the slight wince as she landed on her feet.

''Nothing, I'm fine, just a bit sore.'' She started to walk over to Colby and Jon, rolling her eyes at the look on Joe's face. ''Seriously, stop worrying.''

Colby caught what she said and laughed. ''He's like an old woman, right?''

''Shut up.''

Jon moved over to her, gently wrapping an arm around her waist as the other two playfully bickered in front of them. ''Sure you're okay?''

Alexa opened her mouth to reply but was distracted by another replay up on the screen; her attention focused on that for a few moments before admitting softly. ''My back's a bit sore. But totally worth it, it looked freaking awesome.''

* * *

A/N - Well, I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, but better late than never, right. Let me know what you all think!


	83. Chapter 83

**Monday 14th October**

''Motherfucker...''

And to think, Alexa had been in such a good mood.

The past few weeks had been spent going back and forth between Tampa and Vegas, but it had been worth it, her and Jon were finally settled into their new place and looking forward to their future together. She was relaxed and refreshed after having the past several weeks off, and this weekend had been the start of her return.

She had just spent an amazing few days in New York doing Comic Con. Saturday she had been joined by Phil, and the pair had a blast doing their panel and meeting the fans. She had been dubious at first but their friendship finally seemed to be back to where it was, something which she was extremely thankful for.

So, that morning, after a delayed flight she had eventually arrived at St. Louis International, rented a car and headed straight to the arena... only for the car to break down near the St. Louis Zoo, leaving her alone and stranded by the side of the road. Then, to make matters worse, her phone died because she had forgotten to charge the battery before going to bed last night. Having no other way of contacting anybody, she had to settle on waving frantically at passing traffic until someone finally took pity and pulled over to help her.

Using the phone of the man who had come to her aid, she called the company who she had hired the car from. They offered to come out and fix the car but it would have taken too long, so she declined, deciding to just walk the rest of the way to the arena. They apologized profusely for the inconvenience and issued her with a full refund over the phone. She thanked the man who had stopped to help her he drove off as she was removing her luggage, which thankfully wasn't much.

After leaving the car keys inside the rim of one of the tyres for the rental company to find, she set off on her way.

* * *

Alexa stalked into the Scottrade Center just over an hour later, scowling as she pulled her suitcase along behind her. The walk to the arena had taken a lot longer than she thought it would, especially since she had no idea where she was going, her feet were killing her.

On the plus side though, she had probably worked off all of the junk food she had eaten the day before.

Glancing up at the production board, she skimmed over it quickly before following the directions to the women's locker room. Finding it empty, she dumped her bag in the corner before making her way to catering. There weren't many people in there; just a few members of the production staff eating around the tables and one or two wrestlers. She sent a little wave over to Danielle and Curtis, the pair huddled together as they chatted, before grabbing herself a bottle of water from the counter at the head of the room.

She took a long sip as she turned and started walking out, pausing in the doorway as Brie and Daniel came strolling in hand-in-hand. Before either of them could say a word, Alexa reached out and wrapped her arms around them.

Confused, the couple returned her hug and waited until she pulled away before sharing a glance.

''What was that for?'' Brie asked with a smile.

''Well, one; I really needed a hug. And two, congratulations, guys.''

Daniel beamed across at her as his hand found Brie's. ''Thank you.''

''Come on, let me see the ring.''

The man rolled his eyes as Brie giggled, lifting her free hand to show her friend the new addition.

Alexa whistled, raising her brow at him. ''D-Bry has good taste, who knew?''

* * *

''Knock, knock?''

The conversation inside the room immediately halted; Joe, Colby, Jon and the Runnels brothers looking up as Alexa peered around the door.

''Lex, hey!'' Dustin beckoned her inside. ''Come in, come in, we're just going over the match.''

She sunk into the seat beside Jon, giving him a gentle nudge in greeting before lifting her eyes to the group. ''Sorry I'm late.''

Colby gave her a once over, taking in her dishevelled appearance with a small frown. ''Where have you been?''

''You wouldn't even believe the day I've had.'' She let out a sigh. ''My stupid rental broke down half way here, so I'm standing by the side of the road, waving like a lunatic to try to get someone to stop and-''

''Why didn't you just call somebody?'' Cody questioned.

Joe snorted at the embarrassed look on her face. ''You forgot to charge your phone again, didn't you?''

''Maybe...'' She mumbled sheepishly, Jon shaking his head in amusement beside her as the others laughed. ''Anyway, so eventually this guy stops and lets me use his phone and I call the rental company. They said they'd come and fix the car but it would take a while, so I thought, fuck it. I'll walk.''

''Oh no...'' Colby uttered as he tried to keep the smile off his face, guessing where this was heading.

''Yeah, so I ended up fucking walking, like, four miles here, carrying all my luggage...'' She lifted up her leg to show them her black, studded ankle boots which had four inch heels. ''... In these.''

Cody raised an eyebrow. ''That's actually pretty impressive.''

Joe nodded in agreement. ''How long did it take you?''

''Almost two hours, but I did stop at McDonald's on the way.''

* * *

**RAW**

_''You know that the American Dream is sitting at home, rooting for his two boys to become the new Tag Team Champions!'' JBL commented, raising his voice so he could be heard; the vocal crowd cheering encouragement for Goldust, who was attempting to fight out of the headlock Roman had him in._

_''It was thanks, in part, to Dusty, that-''_

_''Dusty made a name for himself right here in St. Louis!'' JBL cut across Michael._

_''-that Cody and Goldust are even here tonight.''_

_The cheers rose as the veteran managed to fight his way to his feet, delivering a hard punch to the Samoan's gut. Just when Goldust thought he was free, Roman quickly sent a knee to his chest before whipping him into the corner. _

_His years of experience coming into play, Goldust scouted it perfectly; managing to catching himself just before he hit. Instead, he ran up the turnbuckle before launching himself backwards from the second rope, hitting Roman with an elbow to the face, sending both men to the canvas._

_''And a back elbow!'' Michael cried. ''And now, Cody Rhodes, pacing on the apron! He realises this could be the turning point of the match, if he could get in here!''_

_Goldust pounded his fists on the mat as he tried to will himself to his feet, his brother leaning over the tope rope as he crawled towards him, spurring him on as the crowd cheered. Just as the man was about to lunge forward and make the tag, Seth came running across the ring, hitting Cody with a forearm to send him flying off the apron._

_''Rollins with a cheap shot!''_

_The heavy chorus of boos washing over him, Seth moved into the corner and jumped up, perching on the top turnbuckle for a moment before standing and mocking Goldust. Smirking as the boos got louder, the Iowan jumped, only to be caught in mid-air and nailed with a powerslam._

_''Yeah!'' King laughed. ''Caught in mid-air!''_

_Using the ropes, Cody pulled himself up onto the apron, lashing out with a kick as Dean tried to stop him. The United States Champion dropped to the ground, leaving the other man to stand and extend his arm towards his brother. Just as Seth reached his corner and tagged in Roman, Goldust finally made the tag._

_Fired up, the younger Rhodes brother ducked a clothesline from the Samoan before hitting him with a flurry of right hands._

_''Turning point perhaps, Rhodes unloading on Reigns!''_

_''It had better be a turning point.'' JBL stated dryly._

_Roman countered, swinging Cody towards the ropes and ducking down; the other man coming back and countering with hjis trademark drop down right hand. _

_''Shades of his brother, there!'' King pointed out._

_JBL laughed as Roman remained standing, a loud roar ripping from his throat. ''I think he just made Roman Reigns mad.''_

_Cody cut off the man with a punch to the face, dodging out-of-the-way as the Samoan sprinted at him and grabbing hold of his vest, sending him straight into the ring post. He dropped down and rolled him up with a schoolboy, almost getting the three count._

_''Did he get him? No! Two and a half, near fall!''_

_Cody climbed to the top rope as Roman slowly staggered to his feet, waiting until the other man was upright before launching himself backwards, landing hard on the other man and going straight into the cover._

_''Moonsault! Cover! One, two-''_

_Roman just managed to roll his shoulder off the mat, much to the crowd's displeasure._

_''And Reigns powers out!''_

_Ambrose leapt up onto the apron, shouting abuse at the man before Cody nailed him with the Disaster Kick on Ambrose, sending him to the floor. Roman stumbled to his feet, running towards Cody onto for the other man to use the ropes as leverage to pull himself up and land a kick to his face. _

_''Need to capitalize.'' King said. ''The numbers game is not with The Shield right now. Do something, Cody.''_

_The Samoan reeled back, giving Cody time to climb duck through the ropes and onto the apron. He waited until Roman was standing before jumping up, spring boarding from the top rope with a dropkick._

_1-2-_

_Rollins entered the ring and broke up the pin before the three count; Goldust coming right in after him, dragging the man out by the hair. Both men rolled outside, where their brawl continued._

_''This thing is breaking down, but with no disqualifications, I thought this would have happened a lot sooner.'' King admitted with a chuckle. _

_''This is all legal, King.'' JBL pointed out. _

_Inside the ring, Cody dodged another clothesline from Roman, countering and setting up the Cross Rhodes. efore he could follow through, he was hit from behind by Ambrose, sending him to the mat. Goldust tried to come to his brother's aid only for Ambrose to send him right back out again._

_''You just knew this was going to happen.'' Michael sighed; Ambrose and Rollins launching a double beat down on Cody in the middle of the ring._

_''You know who else knew this was coming?'' King asked. ''The Authority. Triple H and Stephanie. They knew this was going to happen.''_

_''Come on, this is all legal!'' JBL came to his bosses defence._

_''Why else would you make this no disqualification?'' Michael added._

_Seth and Dean dragged a beaten Cody to his feet as Roman smirked, giving his trademark roar. _

_''And Goldust, with a steel chair!''_

_The man quietly slipped into the ring unnoticed, swinging with all his might and nailing Roman right in the back._

_''Woah!''_

_Goldust wasn't finished there; Rollins and Ambrose recieved the same treatment before he sent the latter flying over the top rope._

_''It's all legal!'' JBL repeated._

_''That was a Tito Ortiz swing, right there!'' King laughed._

_Roman dove at him, clubbing him with right hands to the back until he was subdued, giving him a few kicks once he was down for good measure._

_''And just like that, The Shield with the numbers in their favour!''_

_''Man, it's quick how things turn around.'' King agreed._

_'You idiot, you never put the chair down!' Roman laughed, reaching down to pick up the fallen object, waiting for Goldust to rise with a smirk._

_''Uh-oh.'' King mumbled. ''Goldust may live to regret taking that chair in there...''_

_JBL nodded. ''Goldust has sealed his own fate.''_

_''The beginning of the end for Gold-''_

_Cheers erupted as Goldust ducked under the chair shot, bouncing back from the ropes and landing a crossbody ontop of the chair and Roman._

_''Reigns misses wildly! And Goldust- chair on the chest to Reigns!''_

_''And Cody and Rollins still going at it!''_

_Outside the ring, Cody gained the upper hand in his brawl against Seth Rollins; sending the man face-first into the steel steps before using them to go for a Disaster Kick. Seth managed to catch him mid-air, countering and powerbombing Cody into the barrier._

_''Oh my God!''_

_The crowd let out a collective 'ooooh' as a replay played up on the titantron, the image soon being replaced by the action that had resumed back in the ring; Goldust and Roman had both recovered and were now exchanging blows._

_''I don't even know who's legal in this match.'' King admitted. ''Is it Goldust and Reigns?''_

_''I think it's all legal.'' JBL replied._

_Goldust gained the advantage, hitting an atomic drop on the Samoan before his tag partner tried to intervene. Rollins earned an atomic drop for his troubles; Goldust dropping down and catching him with an uppercut before sending him over the top rope. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Roman using the ropes on the other side of the ring to drag himself to his feet, so he ran, clotheslining him over the top rope and tumbling out with him._

_''Everybody's out of the ring!'' Michael cried. ''Chaos! Bodies everywhere!''_

_Dean rushed towards the pair before launching an attack on Goldust. The older man briefly fought back against the flurry of punches before he was driven back into the apron by Roman._

_**'THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME!'**_

_Roman grabbed the back of Goldust's head, preparing to send him into the barrier only to be sent into it himself as the other man countered._

_''This IS awesome.'' King noted, agreeing with the crowd's loud chant. _

_Goldust and Ambrose quickly became tangled in a brawl, the former managing to fight through before Roman came barrelling towards him. Dean watched on in shock as his Shield team-mate hit a vicious spear on the older Rhodes, both men crashing through the barrier and into the time keepers area._

_''Oh my God!''_

_''Wow!''_

_''These guys are destroying each other!'' JBL said happily. ''I love it!''_

_**'HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!'**_

_A replay showed up on the screen, the commentators gushing over that while Ambrose ran around the ring, grabbed Cody, roughly shoved him into the ring before returning to Roman._

_''And Ambrose, how smart is Ambrose? Realizing Goldust is down, he ran across to the other side to get Cody back inside the ring, and he's now dragging Reigns back in to win this match up!''_

_''This is going to be...''_

_King was cut of as a raucous cheer suddenly lifted through the arena._

_''What is this?''_

_The cheers grew louder as the cameraman finally caught sight of what the fuss was all about; Sierra was rushing through the crowd via the walkway that The Shield usually used._

_''What the- oh my God!'' Michael exclaimed. ''Sierra's back!''_

_Ambrose straightened up, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips as he watched her vault over the barricade. He sauntered towards her, holding his arms either side of him as he goaded; 'Come on, hit me with your best shot!' _

_A look of sheer hatred washed over Sierra's face and she pulled back, slapping Ambrose across the face with all of her might, his head snapping sharply to the side. _

_''Woah!''_

_King whistled. ''Nice!'' _

_But she wasn't finished; Sierra brought her hand back with equal force to nail the other side of his face with a backhand slap. Ambrose heaved in a breath, his jaw clenching angrily as he slowly turned back to face her, his cheeks now sporting matching red marks, much to Sierra's delight._

_Ambrose didn't get the chance to react, because the woman stepped closer, and with one kick, nailed him right in the crotch. There was a collective 'Ooooh!' from the crowd as his mouth dropped open, but no audible sound came out. His legs gave out and he fell to his knees, cupping himself with both hands as he collapsed onto the ground._

_King cheered. ''Hell hath no fury!'' _

_''I don't think she's finished there, King.'' Michael said, watching as she moved around their table to grab a chair._

_''Uh oh, Rollins is up, and he doesn't look happy to see Sierra!'' _

_JBL scoffed. ''Well, I'm not surprised, Michael.''_

_Seth ran across the ring, sliding under the bottom rope and turning to face his former team-mate, only__ to be met by a well-placed chair shot to the face._

_''OH MY GOD!''_

_The Iowan slumped down beside Ambrose, Sierra barely sparing them a glance before she turned to face the ring; the two men inside slowly getting to their feet._

_King laughed. ''She's a one-women wrecking crew!''_

_Roman was the first one up, slowly stumbling towards the ropes and looking down at the woman, shock evident on his face. She sent him a little wave, smirking as Cody crept up to the ropes; the man launching himself off them and going for the Disaster Kick._

_''Cody, off the distraction-''_

_Roman just managed to duck out of the way, turning to see Cody land hard on the canvas behind him._

_''And Cody misses!''_

_''No, don't do it Sierra!'' JBL implored, seemingly reading the woman's mind._

_''What-''_

_The crowd went crazy as Sierra landed another chair shot, this time to Roman; the Samoan dropping to the mat instantly. Cody lifted his gaze to meet Sierra's, the woman nodding towards Roman as she finally let the chair fall from her grip, the metal clanging against the steel steps as it landed._

_''Come on, Cody!'' Michael implored. ''Come on, capitalize!''_

_He crawled towards the motionless man, hooking his leg for the cover as the crowd chanted along with the referee's count._

_1-_

_''Look at this!''_

_2-_

_''He's going to do it!''_

_3!_

_''He did it!'' Michael cried, the crowd roaring behind him. ''New champions!''_

_''Somebody arrest that woman!'' an indignent JBL demanded. _

_**''Here are your winners, and NEW WWE Tag Team Champions... the team of Goldust and Cody Rhodes!''**_

_The two men inside the ring celebrated their epic win as Sierra hopped back over the barricade, laughing as she made her way back up through the stands._

_''Sierra came tearing through the arena, and knocked out EVERYBODY!'' _

_''Hey, wait, wait, wait...'' King interrupted, his attention on the ring._

_An irate Triple H had just slipped inside, giving Goldust a hard shove as he stormed around, tearing off his jacket angrily. _

_''Triple H is livid!''_

_''Can you blame him?'' JBL asked._

_At the top of the stands, Sierra lifted her arms up and down along with the crowd; a huge 'YES' chant spreading through the arena, only serving to make the COO even more furious._

_''Sierra, getting some revenge on the men who attacked her last month!''_

_''Look at the Game, he is livid!''_

_''Oh, there's going to be hell to pay for Sierra, no doubt about it.''_

_Scenes of the Rhodes brothers celebrating their title win and Sierra high-fiving the crowd while Triple H seethed inside the ring filled the screens before Raw faded to black._

* * *

_''You're toxic, I'm slippin' unnnnderrrr...''_

_''With a taste of a poison paradise, I'm addicted to you, don't you know that you're toxic..." _

"Would you two please, shut… the hell… up?" Joe groaned from the back seat.

Alexa turned to fix him with a glare, her features softening when she saw the obviously uncomfortable position he was in. The big man was curled up at an odd angle, seemingly trying to get a moment of rest. But, of course, as soon as his eyes had drifted closed and sleep had started to overcome him, Alexa and Colby had decided to have one of their infamous sing-alongs.

''Sorry, Fabio.''

Jon chuckled from beside him, meeting his girlfriend's gaze with a grin. ''Don't apologize, babe. Joe here was just saying the other day how much he missed our car rides.''

''Aw, Joe, did you miss me?''

He grunted. ''I'm starting to re-think that decision.''

Alexa snorted, moving back into her seat and glancing out of the window, watching the traffic flash by. The group were currently an hour into thier four hour journey to Kansas City, ready for the Smackdown taping the next day. As far as she knew, she wasn't actually booked to be on the show, but she had a last minute e-mail requesting she attend so she'd had to catch a ride with the guys. Which wasn't ideal; since they weren't expecting an extra person and had only rented a small car, making the trip an uncomfortable one.

The car fell silent for a little while before Colby glanced her way from the driver's seat. ''Hey, did you hear about Joe's argument with Orton?''

''What?'' Her eyebrows furrowed together. ''No. What argument?''

Joe suddenly thrust his knees into the back of Colby's chair and the man frowned, realizing his mistake as he glanced back at Jon in the mirror. ''You didn't tell her?''

''Obviously not...'' Jon drawled.

'Alexa's eyes narrowed as she glanced between the three men 'Tell me what?''

Joe groaned from the backseat, the man much more alert than a few minutes ago. ''Hey, while we're on the subject, did you tell her about your run-in with Show?''

''Not cool, bro.'' Colby scowled. ''Not cool.''

''Karma's a bitch.''

Jon just watched on in amusement as the two men started bickering between themselves, his girlfriend growing more confused by the second. He finally decided to take pity on her, shifting in his seat and leaning forward so his head was in between the front seats.

''Long story short; at one of the house shows a little while ago, we had a tag match and someone botched up a spot-''

''Randy botched the spot.'' Joe interjected firmly.

''_Randy_ botched the spot.'' Jon amended with an eye roll. ''So, when we get backstage Joe and Randy had this huge shouting match in front of, like, the entire locker room.''

Alexa sighed, leaning her head against the seat as she returned her gaze to the man beside her. ''And how did you manage to piss off Paul?''

His eyes flicked her way briefly before he shook his head, mumbling; ''It was stupid.''

''He didn't shake his hand.'' Jon supplied, shrugging as Joe sent a glare his way. ''What? Just laying it all out there.''

''Show does get real pissy when people forget to shake his hand.''

''Oh, I didn't forget to shake his hand.''

Joe let out a small chuckle from the back. ''Colby here doesn't know how to shake hands properly.''

''What?'' She scoffed. ''How can you not know how to shake hands properly?''

''Apparantly my grip wasn't firm enough... Shut up Jon.''

Whatever filthy comment he had been about to make was cut off and his mouth snapped closed, the man slumping back into his seat with a pout.

''Seriously, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever fucking heard.''

''That's what I said!''

''You didn't?'' At her friend's nod, she groaned. ''Colb, you idiot. You don't argue back, you just accept it and move on. Same goes for you, Fabio.''

''But I didn't do anything wrong! It's not my fault that his hands so goddamn big I can never get a good grip on it.''

''Yeha, and it's not my fault Randy botched a move and was too pigheaded to admit it.'' Joe added with a frown. ''Fucking asshole.''

''Look, I know it's shitty, but guys in your positions can't be pulling shit like this, especially with guys in spots like Randy's or Show's. All it's going to do is get a shit ton of heat on you and cause you more trouble than it's worth.''

A tense silence fell over the car for a moment before Colby risked a small glance in her direction, a teasing smirk pulling at the corners of his lips.

''Sorry, Mom.''

* * *

A/N - So... I'm back! What did you think?


	84. Chapter 84

**Wednesday 30th October**

"How on Earth have you managed to horde so much garbage?"

''I don't like throwing things away."

"Obviously."

Alexa shook her head, shooting Vickie a mock glare as she finished packing the box in front of her. With Raw and Smackdown both being in Florida, she had decided to use the opportunity to finish packing up all her stuff. She thought it was a bit strange that Vickie had immediately offered to lend her a hand, but hadn't wanted to turn it down. Especially since Jon was going to be busy going through what was left of his belongings over at his apartment and wouldn't be around to help her.

"How's Shaul doing?" Alexa glanced across the living room, meeting the other woman's gaze with a guilty look. "I haven't really spoken to her for a while, I feel awful."

"Don't be ridiculous, she knows how busy you are." Vickie waved her off with a smile. "And she's doing really well, did you know she's been dating Matt?"

''Matt? Rehwoldt?"

''Yeah, he's been really good for her. What with the eating disorder and everything, I... It's been hard, you know? I'm glad things are finally getting better for her. I hope things stay that way."

"I know." Alexa replied softly, knowing how much the younger woman's troubles had affected her mother. "She's tough, she'll be just fine."

''She takes after her Dad in that respect."

''No, she takes after you. You're the toughest person I know, Vick."

"You think so?"

"I know so. After Eddie passed, you managed to keep it together when anybody else would've fallen apart. Those girls are so lucky to have you and I know that Eddie would be so fucking proud of you."

"Thank you, Lex." Vickie paused, and took a deep ragged breath. "I think there's something I have to tell you..."

"What-"

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

Alexa's head swung toward the front door and she shook her head with a smirk. "That's probably Jon."

Missing the look of apprehension on Vickie's face, she rose to her feet, almost tripping over the collection of boxes in the middle of the room as she headed towards the door.

"I told you to take the key, you-" Alexa's tirade was cut short as she yanked the door open, revealing a face that she hadn't seen in almost fifteen years. "-idiot..."

"Alexandra."

Hearing her name said like that again shook Alexa out of her momentary trance. She briefly wondered if she should correct her, to establish that she wasn't 'Alexandra' anymore. But the shock of actually having her mother standing in front of her after all that time won out, the words just slipping from her mouth. "What the fuck?"

A tight smile appeared on the woman's face, but before she could respond, Vickie appeared, planting a supportive hand on the younger woman's shoulder.

"Amanda."

''Vickie." She nodded curtly. "Thank you for inviting me."

Alexa's mouth dropped open, her eyes darting between the pair before settling on the woman beside her. "You?'' She looked into Vickie's eyes, trying to find some indication that she was kidding. But all she saw was seriousness and a hint of something else, guilt? "You _invited_ her here?"

''I did." Vickie admitted, stepping back and gently pulling Alexa with her to give Amanda space to move past them. "Let's not do this here, come inside."

Alexa darted forward, her hand angrily slamming against the door frame and using her arm to block off the entrance before she could enter. "No! She's not coming inside. No."

"Alexandra, please-"

Alexa felt her head start to spin; all she could hear was the sound of blood pounding in her ears as she tried to get her head around what was happening. ''I said no! This is my fucking house, you're not welcome here!"

Vickie sighed. ''Lex-"

"Hey!"

The three women started at the sudden interruption, Alexa immediately calming down as she recognized the voice of her boyfriend.

Jon made his way up the path, his pace increasing as soon as he met Alexa's eyes and saw the panic there. "What's going on?" He asked, turned to look at the stranger on the doorstep. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Amanda." She replied quietly. "Alexandra's mom."

"You are _not_ my fucking Mom." Alexa hissed, her arm dropping to her side before she stepped around Vickie and stormed back inside the house.

Her loud footsteps pounded against the stairs for a few seconds before the sound of a door slamming echoed through the house, leaving the trio standing in awkward silence.

* * *

It took Jon almost thirty minutes to convince Alexa to leave the bedroom, the woman finally making her way into the living room where her 'mother' was sitting in one of the chairs that still remained. Closely followed by her boyfriend, she padded across the room and dropped down into the chair opposite.

"I'm going to take Vickie with me while I go grab some more boxes from my place." Jon leaned over the back of her chair, speaking softly into her ear as he place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Call me if you need me, alright."

Alexa nodded, managing to muster up a small smile as he gave her shoulder one last squeeze before heading towards the door, Vickie trailing along behind him silently. The door closed with a soft click behind them and Alexa finally looked up, meeting the gaze of the woman who had caused her so much pain.

All the courage that she'd built up the previous month had vanished, the shock of her mother's sudden arrival catching her completely off guard. The pair sat in an awkward silence for what felt like forever until Amanda finally broke it.

"Are you going to just stare at me, or are we actually going to talk?"

''Oh, I'm sorry I'm not exactly chatty fucking Cathy." She snapped back. "I didn't wake up this morning expecting my so-called _Mother_ to appear on my doorstep after fifteen fucking years."

"You turned up on my doorstep first, remember."

"I... did Vickie tell you?"

"No. Simon... he mentioned I'd had a visitor and as soon as he described her, I knew it was you." Amanda replied softly. "I've never known anyone with the same colour eyes as you... Why did you leave?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I realized what a mistake it was so I bounced."

"You should have stayed."

"Why? So I could look at more photos of your perfect new family some more?"

Realization dawned in the older woman's eyes. "You left when you couldn't see any photos of you?"

The question was met by silence, which only served to confirm her suspicion.

"I'm sorry." Amanda released a sigh, glancing down at her hands as she wrung them anxiously. "Simon, he... he didn't know about you. Not until after your visit. It was him who convinced me that I needed to see you."

"This just gets better and better." A loud snort left Alexa's lips, the woman shaking her head in disbelief. "You didn't tell your husband that you had a daughter? Actually, that's probably a good idea, considering that you pretty much abandoned said daughter."

"I didn't tell him because I was ashamed. I love him and I didn't want him to think that I was an awful person." She admitted. "Which is what I feel like."

"Did he?" At her confused expression, Alexa elaborated. "Simon. Did he think you were an awful person when you told him?"

"At first... Until I explained. He couldn't quite wrap his head around it, still can't, but he knows I had my reasons. That's when he told me I had to come and make amends with you, so we can all move on."

"I think we're way past making amends."

"Look, this has been a long time coming and you know it, or you wouldn't have tried to make contact with me in the first place."

Alexa remained silent for a moment, her mind trying to come up with the right words to explain herself, but she couldn't. Instead she settled on the easiest ones to make herself understood. "I just wanted to know **why**."

"Does it really matter why?"

"Of course it fucking matters!" She hissed angrily, temper rising quickly. "Do you have any idea how much you screwed me up? I've gone through my entire life just assuming people didn't want me, that nobody would love me. Because if my own _mom_ couldn't do that, how could I expect anybody else to? I deserve to know why. You owe me that much."

If Amanda was taken aback by the sudden outburst, she didn't show it. Instead she waited until the other woman had settled down before speaking. "I don't even know where to start...''

''The beginning usually helps."

''I... I never really wanted kids, you know... even when I met Vito. I loved him so much and I know deep down he wanted a family, but he went along with what I wanted. We were happy, for a while, until I started to feel like he resented me, for not giving him the family he wanted..." Amanda paused, taking a moment to gather herself before meeting her daughter's steely gaze. "I had an affair. Well, I say affair, it was just once. One time. He... I didn't tell him, not until..."

Alexa swallowed heavily, feeling her heart pounding as she tried to wrap her head around what she'd just heard, not even daring to think about where this was heading as she waited for the woman to continue.

"When I found out I was pregnant, I was going to have an abortion. I had it all booked and everything but he convinced me not to, even though he knew you weren't...'' Her mouth snapped shut and she inhaled sharply.

''W-What are you saying?'' Alexa stammered, needing to hear the words despite already knowing.

"Vito wasn't your biological father."

* * *

**A/N : I'm back. Again. Sooooo sorry this has taken so long, and that it's so short. But I'm slowly getting back into it again. Thanks to everyone for (hopefully) sticking around! 3**


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